


Alien Rescue

by CeeCee33



Category: Clans of Kalquor - Tracy St. John
Genre: Foursome - F/M/M/M, Light BDSM, Multi, Threesome - F/M/M, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-05 16:19:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 89,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1824649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeeCee33/pseuds/CeeCee33
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Susannah Talcott is the last surviving caretaker of the Heritage Project, a secret storehouse that has been collecting and preserving Earth's art, history, and knowledge for generations. It is the hope of the Project that one day the oppressive society and government of Earth will end and her people will be ready once more to embrace their full legacy. She has lived in the underground warehouse all her life but since the coming of the war with the Kalquorian Empire, she's lost all contact with the world outside. Now the curious, intelligent Susannah is left alone in the huge structure, working and wondering what life has in store for her.<br/>Clan Denar is part of the Kalquorian Rescue and Evacuation forces that have come to Earth after their ships inadvertently triggered nuclear explosions in all major population areas of the planet. When the three man clan comes upon a mysterious underground entry, they set out to explore, only to find themselves confronted with a lovely, feisty young woman who intrigues and arouses all three. When they're trapped together underground, they have to figure out how to deal with their desire for the woman who refuses to be rescued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter One

Susannah Talcott lifted the slide from the viewing stage of the spectroscope and prepped it for storage. She tucked it away and shut the drawer before washing off the archive-safe spray that coated her hands and protected the tiny, fragile fragment from the oils in her fingers. She smiled with satisfaction. Only two more samples of the rare paper and her documentation of the first edition of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn would be complete.   
She stood and stretched, pressing her back. She’d been slumping again. She needed a good long swim to ease the neglected muscles but she made a mental note to also raise the eyepieces on both the spectroscope and her electron microscope. There was so much more work to be done and she would need to conserve her energy and her health for the long haul. Generations were counting on her.  
She left the lab and climbed the stairs leading to the living space on the Second Level. Every level of the Heritage Project Collection storehouse was vacuum sealed and she pressed the button so that the door could hiss open and shut behind her. She took the steps slowly, not because she was infirm but because there was no hurry and she preferred to exercise in the storehouse’s gym. Conservation of energy, she reminded herself with a smile. Conservation was her life.   
She went to the large kitchen in one bay of the living space and poured water for a cup of tea. She heated it and then added a bag of good old-fashioned Earl Grey. She peeked into the fridge and thought longingly of what she’d rather be drinking: an icy-cold Dr. Pepper. But she had precious few cartons of the soda and she was rationing herself, limiting the treat to one pouch per week. Before too long, it would have to be one per month if no deliveries were on the way.  
She dunked the tea bag until it dissolved, leaving only the tea in the cup. She found a slice of toast left from her breakfast and carried it with her to the long table. Taking a seat, she wrapped her hands around the warm cup, glancing around the room. Years ago, this table would have been filled with people chattering, eating, drinking, comparing notes. Now there was no one but her.   
Susannah was now the sole Curator for Collection Storehouse Beta, the Heritage Project storehouse for the North American Sector. It was up to her to carry on the mission of the Project: to collect and preserve the cultural and scientific treasures of Earth in secret locations around the world, in the hope that someday, when the religiously fanatical governments of United Earth finally fell, there would be something left for future generations to claim as their legacy.   
She paused in the middle of a bite of toast, frowning. Had she heard something or had it just been the structure of the storehouse settling?   
No. There it was again. A thumping that sent a faint vibration through the floor. It wasn’t just her imagination.   
Earthquake? Bombs?   
Her breath caught. It was coming from the entrance. A light by the sink began to blink. Someone or something had breached the long corridor that led down from ground level.   
Her heart raced. “How could they have found it?”   
Stay calm, she told herself. It might just be an animal that had blundered in through the hidden grate covering the entry to the stairs.  
She pulled a knitted cap from her pocket and tucked her long hair up out of her way. She dashed to the weapons case and pulled out the only gun she knew was loaded, an old particle beam rifle. It wasn’t much but it would have to do. At least she knew how to use it. She cursed the broken link to her vid feed from outside the entry. She couldn’t see who or what was coming.  
It might be a delivery, she thought, hope rising.   
Then again, it might be government troops coming to invade the storehouse and take her away. No one must know that the forbidden collections, here and around the world, even existed. She’d had one last garbled com from the outside since the wild report that nuclear bombs had blown up major urban areas around the world. She wasn’t sure that had really happened. She didn’t know who was in power or what they were up to. She couldn’t take any chances. She wasn’t going let them take the Collection without a fight.   
She prepped the rifle, marched to the entryway, and pressed the button nearest her. The door hissed open. The dim lights just barely illuminated the rough-rock entry space beyond. She sealed the door behind her and stood ready as heavy footsteps approached.  
“Dear heaven, don’t let me die.” And don’t let the Collection be lost.  
Then they were there.  
#  
Kyrnis heard the faint click and froze, raising his hand for the others to halt. He signaled for them to stay and then pressed forward along the narrow path through the last barrier of fallen rock. He came up short when he saw the figure standing silhouetted in the space ahead.   
Gun!   
He dropped and rolled as the shot from the antique Earther weapon rang out. He came up faster than thought, tackling the shooter and crashing to the floor. He reached to take the gun, then went suddenly still.   
The body underneath him was soft. Soft hips, soft thighs. Soft breasts. Soft scent. His shafts went warm in a heartbeat.   
A woman?  
He lifted his head and stared down into huge, terrified eyes the color of a turquoise pool. Small flecks of emerald showed here and there, encircling the round black pupils of an Earther. She was breathing hard, her heartbeat evident in the pulsing of her throat. His hands tightened on her wrists and she gasped. Her fear roused him further and his fangs dropped automatically, ready to sink into the creamy flesh of her slender neck.  
“Sholt, Kyrnis!”  
Denar came running, Tynevek at his heels. They skidded to a halt on either side of the Nobek. His Dramok’s command to stop penetrated the haze of lust and Kyrnis drew a deep breath. His fangs folded up and he reluctantly pushed up and off the woman’s prone form, taking the rifle with him. Denar, the leader of their three-person clan, gave him a curt, approving nod and Kyrnis reached inside himself for further control of his instinct to rut. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman and he’d never had an Earther woman. His reaction to her had been immediate and potent. He called on his soldierly, Nobek training, however, and with some effort got his body in line with his duty.   
Tynevek, his Imdiko, was kneeling near the woman, who was shaking and staring up at them all, the whites of her eyes showing bright around the blue orbs. Tynevek was murmuring assurances and Denar was adding his assent. Kyrnis noted that his Dramok was not unaffected by the sight of the female lying helpless before them. The bulge in the front of Denar’s skintight formsuit had, like his own, increased appreciably in size.   
“Forgive us for frightening you, Matara.” Tynevek spoke gently and calmly, as was his nature as one of Kalquor’s caregiving Imdiko breed. “We had no idea anyone was down here. Our guardian was trying to protect us when he knocked you over.”  
The woman seemed too terrified to speak. Kyrnis felt a sharp pang of guilt. He’d been brought up to revere women and to see this one on the ground, shaking in fear at the very sight of him made him want to groan in shame. It was his job to rescue Earther females, not render them senseless with horror. Still, he reasoned, she had fired on him, after all. He might have killed her if it hadn’t been so clear she was a female. Years of training had programmed him to defend his clan above all else. If it had been a male who’d fired on them, the Nobek would likely have ripped out his throat with one bite of his fangs.  
Tynevek went on in his warmest, most reasonable voice. “We’re from the Earther Evacuation and Rescue team.” He made no move to touch her, which was standard protocol. “We had a faint signal from our sensors that there might be a living creature under here, but we expected it to be an animal, not a human. We would have warned you had we not been trying to avoid rousing anything dangerous.” He grinned. “It looks like we did rouse something dangerous. You nearly blew off my clanmate’s head, Matara.”  
“You’re all so big.” The young woman spoke in a whisper, looking dazed. “Are you basketball players?”  
Denar bowed. His clanmates followed suit. “We are Kalquorian. We have no desire to harm you in any way, Matara. We are entirely peaceful, I assure you. Our mission is to find survivors here on Earth and get them off the planet before the radiation becomes too great.”  
Kyrnis saw confusion fill her extraordinary eyes. Had he hurt her that much?  
“I am a doctor.” Tynevek showed her the insignias on the sleeve of his formsuit. One was the Kalquorian symbol for medic, a stylized hand with three wavy lines emanating from the palm: the healer’s mark. He also bore the ancient Earther symbol of two crossed red bars on a white field. “Were you hurt at all when you fell?”  
She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she studied his Imdiko’s face. Kyrnis again felt instant guilt. At last, she shook her head and Kyrnis could breathe.   
“Can you sit up?” Tynevek moved back.   
She nodded and pushed up, scooting away from them. “I’m okay. I don’t need to be rescued.”   
“I’m glad you’re oh-kay.” Tynevek was assessing her with his keen physician’s eye. “You look like you might be hungry. We have food we’d be happy to share.”  
The turquoise eyes were suddenly hazy. Kyrnis thought he saw her swallow at the idea of food. “No, I—I’m all right. You can take off.”  
Denar opened his mouth, probably to point out that she was lying, which was obvious, but Tynevek spoke first.   
“We can’t take off until we know you have food and water, Matara. And we have to check radiation levels.” He gave her a wry smile and a shrug as if to say, “What can I do?” “Our superiors would be very unhappy if we didn’t do a thorough assessment of both you and the environment.”  
She was chewing on that soft lower lip again. Her lips were a rosy coral and Kyrnis’ mind went straight to wondering if her nipples were the same shade. He felt himself stir again, to his chagrin. He scowled to hide his wayward thoughts. He wasn’t an untried boy who couldn’t discipline his body. He could look at a female without feeling the need to rut. Or, at least, without acting on that need.  
“Oh. Okay.”   
Kyrnis was relieved at her acceptance of their help. He also liked that Earther-English word, oh-kay. Simple, clear, useful.   
The woman still looked as if she’d bolt like a frightened kestarsh at any moment but she allowed Tynevek to help her to her feet. He dropped her hand as soon as she was up, and stepped away, allowing her to keep her distance. Kyrnis noticed that his Imdiko, too, sported a heavy bulge in his suit. The little Earther had somehow made an instant impression on the clan. He’d never seen them all respond this quickly or this enthusiastically to any of the Mataras they’d helped to safety so far. Was there something special about her that aroused them?  
He couldn’t help but wonder if they were scenting fertility. Mating with an ovulating female was an almost immediate biological imperative for a Kalquorian male. If she was releasing eggs, ready to conceive, they might have to fight to keep from pressing themselves on her. He’d need to be on the alert to protect her.  
“What is your name, Matara?” Tynevek asked.   
“Susannah.” She pulled the knit cap she wore down closer over her ears. “Susannah Talcott.” She was keeping her eyes upward, on their faces, for which Kyrnis was grateful. If she looked lower, she’d see their arousal. He knew that for the Earthers, though they looked very similar to their own kind, Kalquorians were intimidatingly large in every way. If she was a virgin, and heavily indoctrinated in Earther prurience, she might be more than just intimidated.   
If only she wasn’t so sweet-looking. If only she hadn’t felt so enticingly warm and small under his hard, massive body. Ovulating or not, Earther or not, his body clamored for a taste of her. He shook his head to clear it. Their job was rescue, not reproduction. Nor recreation, nor rutting.  
“I am Imdiko Doctor Tynevek.” His clanmate spoke cheerfully, his handsome face gentle. “This is Dramok Denar, our leader, and the mountain that fell on you is Nobek Kyrnis, our guard.”   
Kyrnis smiled and nodded to Susannah and the woman actually relaxed a little. He was relieved. She didn’t smile back but he liked seeing her lose some of her terror.   
Tynevek opened his pack and pulled out some of his supplies, explaining to the young woman what each one was, what it was for, and reassuring her that every one of them was both non-invasive and painless. He didn’t mention that at least one of them doubled as a weapons sensor. If she was still armed, they’d know it at once. They’d come in peace, but they weren’t stupid. Earthers had fooled them in the past.  
She rose to her feet and nodded her assent to the exams. Kyrnis felt pride in the way his Imdiko was able to calm even his most frightened patients. It made him a great asset on their rescue missions. It didn’t hurt that Tynevek was also one of the most winsome men Kyrnis had ever seen, as close to beautiful as a male could be and still be unmistakably masculine.   
Kyrnis looked around. He caught his Dramok’s sharp eye and they exchanged puzzled looks at the small room. He would have sworn their scans had showed a much larger space below the odd indentation in the ground up above, perhaps even a cavern. Moreover, this space was unfurnished and he could see no evidence of food, water, sleeping mats, or anything else that might sustain the woman.   
“Are you alone here, Matara?”   
She looked up at Denar from where Tynevek was using a wand to check her vital functions. Her brows drew together. “Why do you keep calling me Matara?”  
Denar smiled. “It’s a title, as you would say Miss or Mrs. here on Earth. It’s a term of respect for a woman in our culture. It means life-bringer.”  
“Oh.” She looked over her shoulder at the Imdiko, who was doing a vertical scan to check her spinal column. “Is the gravity different on your planet? If there is less pressure on your skeletal structures due to lower gravity, it seems reasonable that you might evolve into beings so tall.”  
Tynevek’s eyes widened. “You accept the theory of evolution, Matara Susannah?”  
She looked vaguely puzzled. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I? It’s been well-documented for centuries.”  
The three men looked at one another. Kyrnis knew what the other two were thinking. An Earther female who even knew about evolution was unique. It was one of many scientific teachings banned on her planet. An Earther woman who could converse about it in an educated, rational fashion was rarer still. This Matara was no ordinary female.  
Which begged the question: how had she escaped the repressive Earther teachings that were so narrow and so cruel, especially to women? Who was Matara Susannah Talcott? And, of course, why was she here? Kyrnis couldn’t resist lifting a brow in Denar’s direction. This was getting interesting.  
“You’re in good health.” Tynevek put away his instruments. “Tell me, Matara Susannah, where do you find food and water?”  
She paled and frowned. “You’re from the government.” She was looking panicky again.  
“What makes you say that?” Denar’s voice was soft.  
“Who else would you be? You want to know if I have supplies I shouldn’t have. And your English is too good to be off-worlders.”  
Kyrnis raised his open palms. “Thank you for the compliment. We’ve worked very hard to learn your language. We are from Kalquor, Matara. If your government or military find us, they will try to kill us.”  
“Kalquor attacked Earth.”  
Denar spoke calmly. “So then you know we cannot be from your government.” “There’s nothing down here that would interest Kalquorians or the government.” That soft mouth was now firm. “You should go now. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine.”  
Denar held up his rad scan. A blue light blinked on it. “It looks like radiation may be leaking into this space, Matara. It’s not safe for you here. You will come with us.”  
“No.”  
Kyrnis braced himself. Of all the words in all the galaxies that one avoided saying to a Dramok, it was “no,” especially to his Dramok, and especially in response to an order. This woman, with her suddenly confident eyes and raised chin, didn’t know her peril. Would Denar recall his training for this mission and make allowances for the Matara’s fear as well as her unfamiliarity with Kalquorians? Denar was officially in charge here, and he could be harsh in answer to rebellion.  
Tynevek stepped gracefully into the breach. “Matara Susannah, we are friends and we need to see that you are safe. If there is another chamber where you are living, we would like to check it for radiation, too. We have equipment on our transport that can help us to contain it. This is all we ask.”  
She shook her head. Stubborn little thing. What—or who—was she protecting? He felt a flash of approval. She was defending something important to her, an admirable quality, an impulse a Nobek could understand. Still, Kyrnis sensed Denar tensing.   
“Please, Matara.” Kyrnis made his voice as gentle as he could, not always easy for the big warrior. “Permit us just a look, so we can help you be safe.”  
“We don’t ask for anything else.” Tynevek gave her one of his most beguiling looks. “But first, it’s time for us to have a meal. May we share it with you?”  
She seemed to debate with herself. Again, Kyrnis saw her swallow and knew the defiant little Earther was starving. He fought the growl that rose in his chest. She shouldn’t be going hungry, damn it!  
Her chin dropped a notch. “All right. I can’t stop you, can I?”  
Denar moved closer. “We won’t hurt you. We won’t force you. You have the right to refuse our help, Matara.” He looked down into her grim face and smiled that smile that Kyrnis knew made females melt like gara butter in the sun. “But I hope that you will not.  
Instead of melting, the Earther glared. “Don’t even think about trying to sweet talk me. I’m not an idiot.”   
Kyrnis had to suppress a smile. As Earthers would say, she had Denar’s number, all right. The problem was, Denar was entirely within his rights as her rescuer, not to mention as a conqueror of her planet. Still, he kept his patience.  
“I know you are not an idiot, Matara Susannah. That’s how I know you understand that we aren’t here to do you harm. Only to see that you’re safe. Besides, if we meant you harm, we could easily have overcome you by now. Don’t you think so, Susannah?”  
Ah-ha. Now the smile was working. He saw the Matara hesitate. If the situation had been different, all three of the men might make a sexual advance upon seeing her wavering, vulnerable. Kyrnis caught a hint of the uniquely Kalquorian scent of sexual arousal, and knew his clan mates were reacting to the possibilities raised by that vulnerability. Born predators, all of them. But this was not an occasion for pursuing sexual gratification.  
“All right.” She turned away. “Follow me.”  
Kyrnis felt relief and his tension abated. He automatically stepped into the lead behind the young woman. If this was a trap and there were others waiting in ambush, he needed to be able to protect his clanmates.   
His position also afforded an excellent view of the Matara’s backside, swaying gently as she walked. He was enchanted by the rounded shape that showed beneath her slightly baggy trousers. Was there a chance she’d be willing to let him see that pretty ass naked?  
He shook his head. It was as if he’d been drinking leshella, he thought, his thoughts totally on rut. He whipped his mind back into line. They might be in danger from something far worse than unrelieved erections and he needed to be vigilant.  
The woman stopped at the end of the short hallway and touched a slightly protruding rock in the wall to her left. An air-seal gasped as a door slid open before her. She led the way through and all three men took in sharp breaths.   
“Matara.” Denar’s voice was hushed with wonder. “What is this place?”  
#  
Susannah watched the aliens move around Chamber Number One of Level Two, which was part of the geological collection. The three of them were the largest men she’d ever seen, larger even than many Earther basketball players, she saw now. There wasn’t a great deal of information on Kalquorians in the Project data banks. Most information about the denizens of the planet Kalquor was deemed contaminated by the Heritage experts, meaning that it came from the propaganda mills of Earth’s government. It could be safely assumed that any data from those sources was twisted, inaccurate, or outright false. Still, the last coms she’d had said Earth was at war with the Kalquorian Empire. The aliens kept saying they wanted to help her but why? Was that their way of tricking her into becoming a hostage? She wanted no part of this stupid war.  
When she’d seen the giant coming through the rock barrier she’d almost dropped the rifle, her knees buckling under her. She hadn’t had time to think. She’d fired and then she’d been flat on her back, his huge body pressing her into the ground. The weight of him was a shock but what had all but finished her was the heat in his blue-purple cat eyes. When he’d shown his fangs, she’d known instinctively that she was about to be ravished. She was surprised—and thankful—she hadn’t peed her pants.  
Ravished. Why not raped, she wondered? Ravished was a word she knew from reading her favorite novels, the passionately romantic literature of an Earth-time long past. Her friend Lena had teased her about her books, saying some of them were just rape fantasies for literate women. Yet rape wasn’t quite the term she sought to describe the sensation of that Titan stretched full-length over her, even when his body had shown quite clear signs of what she guessed was sexual excitement. And it had been no fantasy. Maybe they were looking to make her a hostage or a prisoner of war, but they intrigued her.   
“These are geodes.” The alien called Denar held a chunk of rock in his large hands. “Beautiful specimens, Matara. Kalquor is full of mines but I’ve never seen one this color before.”   
He tilted the crystals inside the rock so they sparkled in the light. She couldn’t help thinking they matched the unique color of his cat-like eyes. She came nearer.   
“It’s amethyst. A form of crystalline quartz. They used to be common on Earth. You can see it’s set in its original surrounding of igneous rock. The purple color comes from iron or manganese impurities in the crystals. That one is from Old Siberia and is considered quite valuable. The Project is lucky to have such a good specimen in the Collection.”  
He smiled at her and this time she felt an unsettling flutter in her mid-section.   
“You’re very knowledgeable, Matara Susannah. This is all part of a Project, then?”  
Be cautious, she told herself. She had no reason to trust these three. She shook her head. “Just a museum. That’s all.”  
He gave her a puzzled glance, then his brow smoothed and he nodded.   
She observed him carefully as he resumed strolling about the room. He was the tallest of the three, with sleek, powerful muscles rippling beneath the tight contours of his black, one-piece jumpsuit. His jet black hair was drawn back from his forehead and extended down his neck past his collar. It served to soften his otherwise harsh but striking features, which reminded her of an eagle: fierce, alert, and proud. She guessed he was a few years older than her own age, twenty-four, but his height and air of authority made him seem older. There was a leashed power about him that told her he’d be a formidable opponent, on any field.   
The doctor alien called from the doorway. “Everything’s ready. Come and eat.”  
She decided she liked the doctor. His plum-colored eyes were bright and gentle and he had been very comforting after her scare when they’d intruded into the storehouse. He was not as huge as the other two, although he, too, was muscled, solid, and at least a head taller than she. He was of a slimmer build and he looked wiry as well as strong and supremely masculine. His hair was very dark and it fell in soft waves around one of the most beautiful faces she’d ever seen on a man, outside of a painting or a vid. Long black lashes edged his purple cat-eyes and his mouth was both full and finely-formed. Like his fellows, his skin was brown and smooth, like a light mocha coffee, and when he smiled his perfect teeth shone out white against his dark coloring.   
The one they called Nobek, Kyrnis, was yet another sort of man. He was the most muscular of the three, broader, more imposing, too. His dark eyes were as watchful as Denar’s but the intelligence behind them was more deadly, more animalistic. His huge hands, powerful neck and shoulders, his rugged features reminded her of a sculpture she’d seen of the god Poseidon, rising, wrathful, out of the ocean to do battle with a sea monster. He looked as if those great hands could decimate her with one casual blow. She shivered, but recalled that if her friend Lena had still been here, she would have been openly drooling over this gorgeous alien. Over all these aliens.   
But she wasn’t here to drool or shiver. She was here to stand firm and not allow them or anyone else to invade her storehouse and take away her life’s work.   
She followed the men into the kitchen and saw the doctor had laid out enough food to keep her supplied for a month. There was thick brown bread dotted with nuts and seeds, cold roasted chicken, and even fresh fruit and cheese. Her stomach growled. It might not be a feast for these alien grizzly bears, but to Susannah it was more food—real food—than she’d seen on her table in many, many weeks. She was so hungry tears almost came to her eyes at the sight.  
She saw that all three of the men stood around the table, looking at her expectantly. She realized they weren’t going to sit until she sat, so she took a chair and settled in. They sat down, forming a cityscape of dark-clad skyscrapers around her.   
The doctor smiled warmly and pushed her plate closer. “Enjoy.” He courteously ignored her emotional response to the sight of the meal. “We make an effort to bring foods with us that are familiar to Earthers. I hope you like it.”  
Susannah couldn’t help herself. If the food was drugged or poisoned, she didn’t care. She’d die happy and full. It was all she could do not to eat like a savage, tearing into the food with her bare hands. She forced herself to take her fork and knife.  
The huge Kyrnis had moved away. Now he approached and set a glass of something brown and bubbly before her. She sniffed it and a couple of tears actually did form. “Dr. Pepper,” she said, chokingly. Did he know it was her favorite?  
His stony face twisted into a look of disgust. “I know. It’s a scary beverage. It shoots gas into the nostrils.”  
She blinked. Scary? This fanged behemoth was frightened by soda pop bubbles?  
“Don’t mind him.” Denar flashed her a surprising, devious grin. It lightened his whole, serious demeanor, turning him from arresting to downright handsome. She felt a quick thrill inside herself. “You should have seen him the first time he tasted your Earth champagne. He jumped about a mile and threw the glass across the room.”  
Kyrnis scowled. “It stung!”   
“Yes, but if you’d had a little more, I know you would have liked it. A very pleasant intoxicant.”   
Kyrnis folded his arms. “Not possible. I’ll stick to leshella.”  
It was a new word to Susannah. She had to learn it. “What is leshella?”  
“It’s a wine from the planet Plasius.” Tynevek pushed more apple slices her way. “It has a stimulating effect on the libido.”  
“An aphrodisiac?” she asked, even as she shoveled the fruit into her mouth.   
“Yes.” Denar almost purred the word. “Not terribly potent but still fun.”  
For some reason, Susannah smelled cinnamon. Three sets of deep purple eyes were on her. She swallowed a bite as she felt heat bloom in her cheeks. She knew what an aphrodisiac was, at least in the academic sense. She had a feeling these men knew what it was in every other sense.   
“So, you seem to know a lot about Earth.” It was a lame attempt to change the subject, but she wanted to evade those strange, yet eloquent eyes.  
“My eldest brother is clanned with an Earther woman.” Kyrnis nodded proudly. “She’s a good Matara for his clan.”  
“Clan?” She thought back to what little she knew of their race. “Ah. I remember. Three men and one woman, usually, yes?”  
Tynevek nodded. “We have few females on Kalquor, however. You may know that long ago, a virus killed many Kalquorians, particularly Mataras, and by genetic mutation, rendered many surviving females infertile. It is rare nowadays for a Kalquorian woman to bear a child, even more rare to bear a living female child.” His tone was cautious. “The sharing of one female by three males is a good way to insure that more males have mates and families while we try to restore the population.”  
She absorbed this for a moment. “I see the logic in that.”   
Those three sets of dark eyes blinked in astonishment. She stopped chewing and swallowed. “What?”   
“You don’t find three males to one female unnatural?” Denar looked like he was waiting for her to shriek or explode.   
“You don’t feel Kalquorians and Earthers mingling is an abomination?” Tynevek looked equally cautious.   
Interesting questions. They seemed very important questions to the aliens. “Do you think Earthers are an abomination?”   
“No.” Kyrnis’ braid swung across his shoulders. “We find Earther women beautiful and…desirable. We love our Earther Mataras.”  
Tynevek continued the story. “You are the only race we’ve found whose genes are reproductively compatible with ours. The Earther-Kalquorian children who have been born since we discovered the compatibility are wonderful. With them, our race may yet stave off extinction for another generation.We are very fortunate to have Earther women who are happy to mate with us.”  
For some reason, all three of them shifted in their seats. Susannah again thought she was missing something that was going unsaid.  
Denar cleared his throat. “Matara Susannah. Where is your family?”  
She stared off across the room, at the shelves of artifacts still waiting to be classified and stored. She could see her papa there, his head bent to his reader, studying each item with his intense, curious stare.   
“My parents are dead.” The aliens murmured their sympathy. “I had colleagues who worked here with me, but they’re gone, too.”  
Denar scowled. “You’re alone?”  
She nodded and picked up some cheese. So delicious. She almost sighed as she bit into the soft, tangy morsel.   
“How long?”  
She thought. Days did seem to blend into each other, especially when she was truly absorbed in work. “About a year,” she said at last. “Maybe longer.”  
She saw Tynevek jolt, then try quickly to hide it. “You’ve been alone for a year, Susannah?” His face was both shocked and sorrowful. “That must have been very difficult.”  
She shrugged. “Yes. I miss Papa and the others. But I have the Collection and my work and I’m very happy here.”  
Denar leaned in. “Tell us more about your work.”   
“Well, I used to be Curator of Literature and Arts.” She licked her fingers, uncaring of her manners. It was wonderful to have food in her belly, though she hoped she wasn’t going to be sick, she was so full. “Now, I care for the entire Collection.”  
“You said the Collection is part of a Project?” Tynevek asked.   
“The Heritage Project. It was—”  
She stopped. She had already told these strangers more than she should. The effects of their friendliness and the good food had put her off her guard.   
Denar pounced. “It was?”  
“It was wonderful. The food.” She smiled around at them. “Thank you so much. If you want to wash up before you leave, there’s a bathroom just over there.” She pointed across the room.   
“We haven’t checked the rest of your Collection rooms.” Denar’s voice was firm.   
She paused, then rose. “This is all there is.” She began gathering dirty plates.   
Kyrnis took the plates from her and began clearing, quickly and efficiently. “Sit, Matara. I will do this for you.”  
“Oh, but—”  
He was already across the room, in the kitchen, before she could say another word. He had moved faster than anyone she’d ever seen or even read about. Denar was at her side now.   
“You said you were Curator of Arts, Susannah,” he said silkily. “I see no artworks here.”  
Damnation. She hadn’t factored that into her lie.   
Denar took his rad scanner out of his supply belt. “Show me, Matara.”  
He stared at her blandly while she debated what to do. Something told her this man, of all the three, wouldn’t hesitate to use any means in his power to get the truth from her. His eyes reminded her once again of a raptor, keen and focused. To underestimate his intelligence or his power would be foolish, if not fatal.   
“All right. This way.”   
They all followed. She felt like she was being tracked by a pack of wolves, their steps quiet and assured at her back. She didn’t even hear Kyrnis until she saw him beside her. How could such a big man move so quickly and stealthily? It would be fascinating to observe him and see how did it.  
But there was no way she would allow them to stay long enough for that.  
She went to the shelves at the far left wall. She pressed one and a partition slid back, its air-seal hissing.   
Kyrnis entered first, then Susannah, then Denar on her heels, both men looking about in quick, darting assessment. They seemed satisfied there was no immediate threat in Chamber Three, and they relaxed, staring around them, fresh wonderment in their faces.   
“Matara Susannah.” Kyrnis’s deep voice rumbled. “You live in a treasure house.”  
She smiled, feeling her cheeks color with pride. “Yes. I’m very fortunate.”  
Denar sauntered over to a stunning Caravaggio she’d hung in a central location on the far wall; Narcissus staring at his reflection in a pond. He examined it with sharp eyes. “This is an original.”   
She bristled. “They’re all originals. We collect only original artifacts.”  
“We?”  
She gave him a wide-eyed look. “Obviously, I couldn’t have brought all these here by myself.” She knew he’d meant to trick her into telling him about the Project but she’d seen it coming. The Project had to be kept hidden from the government—shattered or not—or all would be lost and she would be imprisoned. Or worse. She smiled blandly at the man. One dark eyebrow arched, then he turned away to run his scanner.  
Kyrnis gazed around at the rich wood paneling and warm lighting that spotlighted the artworks in the room. “So beautiful. Like a feast.” He went to examine a Joan Miro sculpture that sat in one corner. Kyrnis waved a hand in front of it. “It dives and flows. Like in the ocean.”  
Susannah had always thought its smooth, rounded shapes were vaguely reminiscent of the now-extinct dolphins. “Yes! I think it does look like it’s about to swim away.” He might be an alien but he did have an appreciation for art. How long had it been since she’d had anyone to talk with about painting or sculpture?  
Denar’s scanner hummed. Kyrnis joined him and they made the rounds of the room, taking readings high and low. Twice, the blue light flashed and she saw Denar’s eyes narrow. Tynevek had been roaming all over and now he smiled broadly.  
“Matara Susannah, these are all masterpieces! I studied many of these when I was in school.”  
“You study Earth art on Kalquor?”  
He nodded. “We have works from all over the galaxy and beyond. You should see the Central Museum in the capital.”  
She moved closer. “I’d love to see art from other worlds.”  
He smiled. “You will, Matara. I’ll take you to see them anytime you wish.”  
She backed away. “That’s...nice of you to say.” She turned to Denar. “Do you have what you need?”  
“No. I need to see the rest of your home, Susannah. Including the storage areas where you keep your supplies. And your sleeping quarters.”  
Her jaw tightened. No one was allowed into storage except Project workers with full authorization. There were too many delicate artifacts stored in there, not to mention their survival supplies, what was left of them. And show him her bedroom? That notion just plain made her quake.  
“I’m not allowed to show you those areas.” Which was the truth. But somehow, she thought this—Dramok? Dramok, yes—didn’t care. She met his dark eyes again. Her papa hadn’t raised any dumb Curators. This alien wasn’t going to go away until she’d shown him every last corner of the storehouse. She surrendered the field, for now.  
“All right. This way.”  
She led them through another air-sealed door into the central stair well that ran all the way to the last level. From there, they went down to the Sciences level, which housed the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Collections, along with her main lab. The Kalquorians looked more and more stunned with each threshold she led them through. The Project had been gathering artifacts and data for three generations and many experts from many fields had advised them on what to include. They went to Level Four, where Music, History, and literature shared space with Astronomy, which had been squeezed out of Level One when it collapsed. Level Five featured the gardens and greenhouse where they grew not only food but kept heirloom seeds viable for the future. It also contained their pool, gymnasium and recreation room, as well as an elevated running track and the small medical clinic, all of which elicited admiring remarks from the men.   
When they moved on, it was down into the lowest area, Level Six, which was also the most secure area in the storehouse. This was the vast holding area that stretched far back into the earth. She watched as they got a look at the hundreds upon hundreds of cartons and boxes that held parts of the Collection yet to be catalogued or that had not been chosen for study or for one of the gallery displays on the upper floors. They also saw the dwindling supply of food, drink, medicines, and other materials to support life. She saw Tynevek’s mouth pull tight as he ran his eyes over her medical cabinets and her reserve supply of potable water. Kyrnis rumbled darkly to himself as he prowled around the store of back-up generators and electrical equipment. Denar’s face was very still when he looked at her at last.   
“When will you receive your next load of supplies?”  
“In a week or two.” She pasted on a blithe smile. “I have good connections aboveground.”  
His eyes were fastened on hers, as if he could pin her to the wall like an entomological specimen. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something more.   “And where do you sleep, Matara?” Tynevek avoided meeting his clanmate’s eyes, she noticed.   
She was reluctant to show them her room. It was her most private place, her sanctuary where she could go to be alone. That is, until she had become truly alone. Still, she knew Denar would not permit her to deny them. She led the way to the dorms. When she reached her room, she simply opened the door and let them go in.


	2. Chapter Two

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Two 

Denar felt a shiver in his belly when he entered the Matara’s sleeping room. Her scent, sweet and salty and mixed with a delicate, flowery perfume, was most concentrated here and it gripped his loins in a flash of desire. His penises moved, warming and filling. He fought against the arousal. It wasn’t wrong to feel such things for a woman he’d come to rescue just as long as he knew he could never act on them. It was strictly forbidden to impose on a vulnerable survivor. Yet he’d never before had such a continuous, immediate reaction to any female, let alone an Earther.  
Was there more going on? Was he somehow reacting to being underground once again, filled with the need to connect with another before life ended? Dammit, he loathed feeling vulnerable.  
Susannah’s room wasn’t very large but it was comfortably appointed in soft, feminine blues and greens. A thick carpet covered the floor and her bed was covered in a quilted coverlet of ocean-blue velvet. Mounds of silken pillows were heaped on her bed and there was a small table with her hair brush, a few trinkets, and a still-vid of a couple he guessed were her parents.   
On one wall, a bookcase stretched from floor to ceiling. Susannah Talcott must love old books because he knew most Earthers, like his own people, tended to read off their personal tablets. Or they watched vids. But these were real books with hard and soft covers, in all sizes, all colors, stacked tight on every shelf.   
He raised his scan and checked the room. No blue lights flashed and he breathed in relief. No contamination. In fact, he hadn’t found any radioactivity on the two lower levels. It must mean nothing had penetrated that far yet. Still, he was glad they were getting Susannah out of here before the poisons sank through the earth and crept into this quirky little Earther’s nest.   
A nest, he thought. Interesting image. Like a bird who’s created a home in an out of the way place. His cocks stirred again. Suns, the woman’s scent was so enticing. He needed to get out of here before the sight of the soft bed and the pile of inviting pillows made him too aroused to be rational. As it was, the idea of coupling with the soft-spoken woman with the lovely sea-colored eyes was already running rampant through his senses. He could see those eyes going soft with want, closing in bliss as he moved over her, driving deep into her warmth. He’d yet to see her body beneath her unrevealing clothes but he suspected, from what he could discern, that she would be lusciously full-breasted with long, smooth thighs that could—  
He turned and stalked out, brushing past Susannah and the others and heading for the stairs to the upper levels. He went quickly, hoping to quell the lust that had suddenly swamped him, scrambling his reason and confusing his senses.  
There was one thing he was not confused about, no matter his attraction to her: he was going to get her out of here as soon as possible. This was no place for anyone to be living. Not now.   
He dashed up the stairs, gaining floor after floor until he reached the kitchen where they’d left their things. Kyrnis had packed everything away, leaving their things on the tabletop, ready to go. He snagged his pack and hung his rad scanner back on his belt. His cocks were finally soft and his tension was ebbing as the others joined him.   
“You won’t need to pack anything,” he told Susannah. “We have plenty of clothing and other supplies for you on the transport that will take you off-world. If there’s something small you want to bring, some token, there will be room for that onboard.”  
She stood by the kitchen table and smiled. She had the gentlest smile, he thought. Focus, Denar. She’s a rescue subject!  
“Oh, thanks, but no thanks. You were kind to share your food with me. I hope you have a safe trip home. Besides, I doubt anyone would allow you take an Earther woman off-world.”  
He raised a brow. “You’re coming with us, Matara.”  
She shook her head. “It’s a lovely offer, but I can’t leave.”  
He stepped toward her, feeling his temper heating. “Why not?”  
She shrugged, still smiling. “Because this is where I live. I am the Curator. My work is here.”  
“Susannah, we can’t leave you here alone.” Tynevek put out his hand. “There is a threat of radiation in the top two levels and your supplies aren’t going to last much longer.”  
She looked at him, puzzled. “I said I was due for a delivery.”  
Denar hissed. “No one’s been down here in months, maybe longer, Susannah. We looked everywhere up above. The way we came in—the only way in—hasn’t been used in a very long time. We can read these signs. Who do you think is left up above to supply you?”  
She lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine. I grow food in the botanical gardens on the Bio Level. There’s enough energy in our storage cells to last many, many years and there are plenty of others who will come to visit me. Things are just a little confused because of the war. I’m staying. There’s no need to rescue me.”  
“Matara, I examined you.” Tynevek spoke softly. “You’ve been starving yourself, trying to make your supplies last. And no one should be alone like this for as long as you’ve been. It can have lasting physical as well as mental effects. Damaging effects.”  
Denar’s recent flood of lust now diverted to fuel his anger. He stepped up until he was within a handspan of the young woman, his eyes boring down into hers. “You will be coming with us, Susannah Talcott, even if I have to have Tynevek drug you and Kyrnis carry you out of here over his shoulder.”  
Her eyes widened but she didn’t give an inch. He wondered at the way she stood up to an alien male almost twice her size. The top of her head didn’t even reach his chin. She was either a fool or she possessed extraordinary courage. And willfulness.   
“I cannot go. I made a vow to protect the Collection and to carry on what was begun here. You might force me out, but I will lodge a complaint with your ruling Council. I know that forcing Earther women is against your law.”   
Her turquoise eyes snapped. So the gentle smile hid a stubborn temper, he thought. Dammit, her challenging him made her even more desirable. But she wouldn’t best him. He kept his voice even, though his jaw was tight with the effort not to show his fangs.   
“You aren’t as well informed as you imagine, Curator. There is a law against forcing women to become our mates. There is nothing that says we cannot take anyone off this rock that we damn well please.”  
“I think Earth Gov would take issue with that. But if that is correct, then you must do what you must do. However, I don’t believe you want to force me to go when I’m so much happier here.”  
“Try me,” he growled. “I will—”  
The ground began to shake beneath his feet. A tremor shivered across the ceiling. He shouted to his clan mates. “Tynevek, get her downlevel! Kyrnis, we need to—”  
There was another deep, muffled boom from above. Denar saw his Imdiko scoop Susannah in his arms and race for the stairs. Things began to shake in the cupboards and the lamp over the table swung crazily. Kyrnis dashed to the front door and listened, almost stumbling as another explosion made the storehouse shudder.   
“Take cover. Now!”  
He and the Nobek dove for shelter under tables. Denar heard things crash around them and saw crockery and glassware shatter on the concrete floor. Raw fear ripped his guts when he thought of Tynevek and Susannah down below.   
Great suns, not again. Please not again.  
The pounding went on for another moment or two, then there was silence. The world seemed to come to rest and settle once more. Denar felt his stomach unclench.  
Finally, Kyrnis gave the signal and they crept out, stepping around broken glass and fallen ceiling panels. Denar went to the front door and studied all around it. As far as he could tell, the air-seal had held. There was no dust or debris coming from under the door. Then, the lights blinked once, then died, and they were left in utter darkness.   
“Well, this is a development.”   
Denar thought he heard the slightest hint of concern beneath the Kyrnis’ words. He must be shaken up.  
“It is indeed.” He felt sick. He couldn’t look at his Nobek. “I didn’t post a guard outside.”  
Kalquorian eyesight, much stronger than Earthers’, adjusted quickly to the dark. He saw Kyrnis’ eyes widen slightly, then he shook his head.  
“The Tri-bus was already swinging back around to us, Denar. We’d sent up word that we’d found an animal and were just going to investigate. There was no need.”  
Denar felt sweat on his brow. I didn’t post a guard. Again.  
Fear gripped him and he jolted into action, moving toward the doorway that led to the stairs. Kyrnis was at his heels. By the time they reached the first landing, they were running. He was relieved to find the air-sealed doors still functioned.  
She has to be safe, Denar thought determinedly. She will be. And my Imdiko, too. It can’t happen twice. It can’t.  
He and Kyrnis barreled into the supply area, where an emergency light was casting a faint yellow glow across the expanse. Tynevek was on the floor, under a steel table, Susannah curled up under his body.   
“Are you all right? Tynevek!”  
“We’re, uh, fine.”   
The Imdiko let loose of his hold on Susannah Talcott and she crawled out. They both looked well, but Tynevek had a dazed look on his face that alarmed Denar. Had he been hurt?  
Susannah smoothed out her shirt and stretched a little. She seemed uninjured.  
It finally registered with Denar that they were, indeed, both fine. He felt his chest loosen, his fear slide away. He’d been right to send them down here, where he knew the walls were reinforced against seismic activity as well as the elements.  
Kyrnis chuckled as he reached down to help Susannah to her feet. Denar bit his lip, hiding his smile when Tynevek waved to them.   
“It’s all right. Just need a moment to get my balance.”  
Tynevek was both an accomplished gymnast, an aerialist, and a space-flight veteran, not to mention having trained as a climber in the mountains on Kalquor. Only a gyro-ball had better balance. Denar was sure that, despite the recent attack, the Imdiko had inhaled a lungful of the Earther woman’s scent. He was flustered with the condition that had so afflicted Denar himself when he’d been in Susannah’s room. Had this been any other situation, he knew his Imdiko would have sported his erections proudly as he stalked his female. In fact, he wouldn’t have wasted a moment in stripping her naked and taking her, hard, considering how long it had been since any of them had had a female. Yet, with his caring nature and his dedication to his work and his duty, Tynevek would be distressed to have such an unprofessional reaction to a survivor he’d been tasked to rescue. Denar turned tactfully away and let his clanmate recover.   
At the sight of Susannah’s pale face, he almost reached out to pull her to him. He checked himself just in time. “Are you all right?”  “I’m fine.” Her voice was surprisingly steady. She was resilient, he’d give her that. “They bombed again, didn’t they?”  
“This has happened before?”  
“The last time was a little over a year ago. Maybe longer? No one ever came down, so I don’t know if they were trying to hit the storehouse or if they were just dropping bombs in a fight. Stupid war.”  
“What happened to the building after that bombing?” Kyrnis asked.   
“After about a week, the first floor collapsed. Fortunately, we didn’t keep much of the Collection up there, so we simply sealed it off and came down a level.”  
Denar looked at his Nobek. “We need to check out the damages. You try to raise the transport team on the com.” He turned to Susannah, who was biting her lip again, as she seemed to do when she was worried. “Stay here with Tynevek, Matara. Don’t come up, either of you, until we call you.”  
Susannah started to say something but Denar was hurrying after Kyrnis. “Don’t let her come up,” he flung over his shoulder at Tynevek.  
“She’s more concerned about all these artifacts than her own safety,” Kyrnis said softly as they took the stairs two at a time. “They’re nice, but they’re not worth her life.”  
“I agree. But convincing that stubborn little female is not going to be easy.”  Kyrnis chuckled. “She’s almost as determined as my Dramok.”  
“I’m going to ignore that disrespect for your clan leader for now,” Denar said acidly. “But expect some ugly duties later, Nobek.”   
Kyrnis only chuckled again and began leaping up the steps, three and four at a time. Denar upped his pace to stay abreast of his clanmate.   
“Do you think Tynevek will have sex with Susannah while we’re up here, Denar?” They gained the last set of stairs. “They’re very close to her bed. And our Imdiko was harder than these rock walls just from holding her under that table.”  
Denar shook his head. “I don’t think so. Susannah’s ours to rescue, not to fuck, and he knows it. Besides, I think Tynevek sees something wrong with the way Susannah behaves.”  
“You mean like she dares to stand up to you?”   
Denar growled. “Keep it up. I see hours of data input in your future.”  
Kyrnis’ laugh rang out as they stepped up onto the top floor. “She’d be a delicious little play partner, though, wouldn’t she?”  
“Get to work,” Denar snarled.  
But as they found their packs and donned their anti-rad suits, he couldn’t help thinking that if he got the chance to bed the odd little Earther, he wouldn’t be playing around.   
#  
“What does Imdiko mean?”  
Susannah and Tynevek were sitting on the floor, their backs resting against the wall not far from the bottom of the stairs. She was anxiously awaiting a damage report from the other two. She needed to get upstairs and check on the artifacts and her lab but she recognized the rescue unit wasn’t about to allow her to move yet. Denar’s fierce look had told her now was not the time to intervene. She decided it was a good time to learn more about these strange beings. So, she had asked her companion one of the million questions she had about them.  
“It means caregiver, nurturer. I am a doctor, a surgeon.”  
“Are all Imdikos doctors?”  
“No. Some are chefs and spiritual advisors, psychologists and teachers, child care and emergency workers. Nurses and artists. Even some police officers and negotiators are Imdikos. Within our clans, we take care of the physical and emotional and spiritual needs of our clanmates.”  
She looked at the huge, muscled alien and found it difficult to imagine him cooking food or raising children. Yet there was a gentle look in his eyes that spoke of a kind heart. She smiled and the beautiful dark eyes beamed.   
“And a Dramok?”   
“Clan leader. A chief, I think you might say. Or boss? He is our authority, and makes the major decisions of the clan. Dramoks can be in any profession, as can any one of our three male breeds, but Dramoks will always insist on rising to the top and taking the lead. They are the commanders, the generals, the organizers, and the public figures.”   
“And Kyrnis is…?”  
“A Nobek. Our warriors and protectors. Guardians and officers and hunters. They are often soldiers, police, security specialists. They are exceptionally strong, usually, and they are skilled laborers, too.” He tilted his head and regarded her with interest. “And you? You are Curator. A perfect job for a woman.”  
“What is that supposed to mean?” She shot him a suspicious glance. Was he like the Earther men who believed women should only be mothers, elementary school teachers, or nurses?  
He smiled. “Do not be offended. I only meant that we see women as beings who combine all three of the breed traits in one. As Head Curator, I would guess you are the decision maker, or Dramok. Your job is also to care for your collection and grow it and see that it thrives, so you are Imdiko, as well. And, you are one daring protector.” He chuckled. “We’ve seen that first hand. That makes you Nobek, too. Because of all these things in combination, which I see as very womanly, I say you are ideally suited for your position.”  
“Oh. Well, thank you.” She still wasn’t sure if he was trustworthy on the subject of female independence, but she was willing to reserve judgement.  
“You are welcome.”  
“Your eyes are like cats’ eyes.” She had hopped to another topic but she couldn’t help it. She had so many questions about these intriguing new creatures. “Or maybe an owl’s?”  
He settled back against the wall more comfortably. He stretched out his long, long legs and crossed them at the ankles. Dear heavens, he looked like he could crack walnuts between those muscular thighs.  
“Our geneticists believe that somewhere far, far back in our ancestry, we mixed with a night-hunting species. We can see in the dark better than Earthers.” His eyes twinkled at her and his voice deepened. “Our tongues are rougher, too, and we can be predatory. My opinion is we mated with some feline ancestor rather than birds. Otherwise, I think we’d have wings.”  
She felt herself warming unaccountably at the thought of mating with a hunter with a rough tongue. She shoved the image aside. That was more than she could deal with right now.   
“Wings would be interesting, too. You said you studied art in school. Most medical students would be focused on math and science, I’d think.”  
She’d hopped again. He didn’t seem to mind.   
“Medical study for us does mean long years of training in those fields. But education means learning much more than the special interests of our chosen fields, don’t you think? We are expected to study art, music, history, literature, societies and cultures, even engineering and architecture.”  
She drew in a sharp breath. “All of those? How wonderful!”  
He laughed outright. “Many of my fellow medical students didn’t see it that way. They groaned through every lecture and field study that didn’t have to do with bodies and medicine. But in the end, they usually concede that they’re better doctors than they would have been had they been allowed to focus on only one thing.”  
“Do you think you’re a better doctor?”  
He gave an odd look and nodded. “I hope so.”  
“So many things to study!” She sighed, leaning back against the wall. “Can women attend your schools?”  
“Of course.”  
“And yet your word for woman means life-bringer?”  
He shrugged. “That’s true. It’s the most significant difference between males and females in my world. Despite our bigger bodies, we males can do almost everything a woman can, except give birth. Because you combine all three types in your natures and you can produce children means women are revered in my culture. You are so powerful.”  
“Hmm. Do you have a wife, Tynevek?”  
His face was suddenly sad. “We don’t.”  
“We?”  
“We. My clan. Denar, Kyrnis, and I are a clan. But we don’t have a Matara. Yet.”  
“Are you—”  
The door hissed open and Denar and Kyrnis came in, their expressions dark. Tynevek stood and helped Susannah to her feet. “What’s the damage?”  
“Some evidence of new radiation leakage.” Denar set his instruments on a nearby table. “But more importantly, there’s been a rock slide. The entrance is completely sealed. We’ll have to dig our way out of here.”  
“Or transport can dig their way in,” Tynevek said.   
“They might,” Kyrnis said, “if we could raise them on the com.”  
Susannah saw the Imdiko—how quickly she was learning their titles!—scowl. “You can’t reach them? Were they in the bombing?”  
Denar shook his head. “We don’t know. We’ll try again later.” He turned her way. “But there is damage on your Level Two, where we came in, Susannah. Cracks in several places, and one big one on Level Three, nearest the south end of the storehouse. You’re more at risk for radiation than ever.”  
“I’ve repaired cracks before. I’ll gather the materials.” She turned to the storage supply area, but Denar caught her arm.  
“You can’t go up yet. I’m still not sure the structure is sound up above.”  
“But I have to clean up and get those cracks repaired.” She frowned. Why was he being so bossy? “The Collection is at risk for dust and other contaminants coming into the storehouse.”  
“Precisely. That’s why you’re going to stay down here, out of harm’s way until we’ve begun to seal those cracks and double-checked the air supply. We may have to seal off some levels, at least for the time being.” He glanced at Tynevek. “You and Susannah need to check the food supply, water, and the gardens on the Bio-Level. Wear anti-rad gear and be cautious—hazardous materials may have leaked. Kyrnis and I came down to get tools and materials. We’re going back up right away.”  
“I need materials to build a booster for our com signal.” Kyrnis smiled at Susannah. “Will you show me where you keep your electronics supplies, Matara?”  
She gave Denar a narrow glance, then motioned to Kyrnis. “This way.”  
From the corner of her eye, she heard the Dramok conferring with Tynevek in what she guessed was their own language. It sounded sharp and guttural but somehow right for their formidable natures. Tynevek looked worried but Denar shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. She frowned as she led the way down the aisle to electronics. Had they been discussing their plans to take her away from the storehouse?  
“If you need to boost the signal manually, we might rig an antenna and snake it through the air ducts. Primitive, but those things still might work.” She showed Kyrnis the shelves of supplies. “Boosting it digitally will give you a further range, as long as the satellite is still in place over the storehouse area.”  
He shot her an admiring glance. “You know your stuff, little one.”  
She frowned. “Little one? How old do you think I am?”  
He chuckled. “I’m guessing quite a bit younger than I am, and I’m the youngest of our clan.”  
“I doubt you’re older than thirty.” She handed him a box of raw links.   
“And how old are you?”  
“I’m twenty-four.”  
He opened the box. “These will help.” He grinned up at her from where he knelt. “And you flatter me. I’m fifty-one, Matara.”  
Her jaw dropped. “You lie.”  
His laugh was like distant thunder rumbling. “No. Kalquorians live much longer than Earthers. Fifty-one is still a youngling.”  
“And Denar and Tynevek?”  
“Oh, them.” He waved a big paw, dismissively. “Ancient. Sixty, both of them.”  
“Sixty?” She couldn’t fathom this.  
He selected a link and set it aside. “I didn’t call you little one because I think you’re a child, Matara Susannah. It’s just that you’re so much smaller then we are. It might sound like we’re making fun of you, but we’re not. Do you mind?”  
“No, I don’t think so.” She considered. “Shall I call the three of you big ones?”  
He grinned with delight. “That sounds ridiculous. I love it! Can’t wait until you call Denar that.”  
“Why is he so bossy?” She handed him down a packet of cables.   
“Because he’s our Dramok. Dramok means bossy in Kalquorian.”  
“Does it really?”  
He glanced up at her, his eyes twinkling. She decided she had been wrong about his face being ferocious. His smile was infectious and his eyes, though keen, were not as feral as she’d first thought. He was handsome in his own way, too. His slightly tilted, cat eyes and broad, flat cheekbones reminded her of a splendid, powerful male lion.   
“No. Dramok simply means leader.”  
“But you’re way bigger than he is. And Tynevek is a doctor. Why do you let him order you around?”  
He pointed to a small box of wire. “Same answer, little one. Because he is our Dramok. He is much better than either of us when it comes to making decisions and planning for our lives. It’s in his breeding and his training. We defer to him so that someone may have that role in our clan. Without a Dramok, we’d have three nasty-tempered, bossy males trying to run everything.”  
She swallowed as she passed him the box of wire. “Are you all nasty-tempered?”  
He checked his pile of supplies as he replied. “When our passions are roused, we can be. All the more reason to have a Dramok. He has the final word in all arguments. We depend on him for that, just as we depend on Tynevek to care for our bodies and spirits and they depend on me for protection. We balance each other.”  
“But what about women?”  
He looked up at her with a keen glance. His dark eyes were hooded and she felt a ripple of electricity shoot down her spine. “What about women, Susannah?”  
“Ah. Well. Tynevek said you had no wife yet. Your clan.”  
His looked away, choosing more parts for his booster. “It’s true. We have no Matara.”  
“Wouldn’t she upset the balance?”  
“Yes and no.” He came to his feet in one easy move. “You ask a lot of questions, little one.”  
She felt her cheeks heat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that you’re so different! There’s so much I don’t know about—about you big ones.”  
The warmth returned to his voice. “Your curiosity is a good thing. Most of the Earther women we’ve encountered don’t dare ask questions. They live in such fear.”   
She heard the anger in his last words. She looked up and saw sudden heat in his eyes. A faint scent of his cinnamon after-shave breezed past her. Was he going to touch her? Kiss her?  
He gripped the items in his hands and stepped back. “I’d better get going. The sooner I get the com working again, the sooner we can be sure you’re safe.”  
He turned and strode away, his big shoulders moving with a stalking lion’s graceful power. She stood in the aisle, staring after him until he disappeared through the door to the stairs.  
She shook herself back to attention. “Are you out of your mind, Susannah?” she breathed. Don’t even think about touching him or kissing him! He was an alien, he had invaded her Collection, and he was bent on taking her away from here. He’d even attacked her. That made him her enemy. He was a threat and so were his clanmates.   
That was why her heart was thumping and her body felt so electric and aroused. Logic dictated that there couldn’t be any other reason.


	3. Chapter Three

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Three

It was several hours before Denar allowed them to come to the upper levels, and he still insisted they wear anti-rad suits. Tynevek knew this place was classified as a moderately contaminated zone, as far as radiation levels went, but he knew that even a shift in prevailing winds could intensify the levels in a particular area. It was also possible, Kyrnis had told him, that the ground or water supply itself may have already been contaminated by radioactive waste-products, long before the war. However they came about, radiation leaks were a serious threat.  
When they reached the Second Level, Tynevek studied his Dramok’s face and saw it was tight with worry. He knew this place, being underground, was fraught with emotions for Denar and not simply because of radiation or the mandate to complete their mission. To his relief, his leader didn’t seem over-stressed and he had denied that the bombings had shaken him much. In fact, he seemed more troubled by their beautiful Earther host. The Imdiko grinned with relief. Pretty Susannah was unknowingly helping his Dramok to face an important test.  
Tynevek groaned, inwardly. Susannah had taken off her cap when she and Tynevek had been alone in the basement, donning protective suits over their clothing. Glossy cascades of honey-bronze hair had shaken out to flow over her shoulders and more than half-way down her back. He’d been seized immediately with an image of that beautiful hair swinging down over her naked breasts, its waving ends parting around lovely, round breasts with pink aureolas. Another image quickly followed: those long tresses tickling his thighs as she sank over his groin, her soft, blushing lips parting to take him into her mouth…  
He’d had to conjure up pictures of horrible injuries he’d seen as a doctor and still more images of extreme surgical procedures in order to wipe the lust from his mind and body. She had taken a band from her pocket and tied up the satiny locks in a tight tail at the back of her head and with effort, he managed to get some perspective on the young woman. She was his patient, he told himself. A rescue subject. He would keep his distance and maintain his respect for her. Maybe that was his test. If Denar could do this, so could he.  
Immediate matters drew him back to attention. Denar was telling them about what he and Kyrnis had found.   
“The leaks here aren’t bad. At least, not on this level. We can patch them well enough to protect us until we can get out. We may have to go in through the air vents, though, to be sure no damage has been done to the air exchange and filtration system. And we’ll be further testing the water supply, of course. Nobody drink or wash in water from the taps until we’re satisfied it hasn’t been contaminated.”  
Susannah was looking around at the mess on the floor. Denar nodded to her. “We’ll all help with cleanup, Matara. I’m very sorry some of your artifacts were damaged. Just tell us what needs to be done.”  
She gave him a faint smile. “Thanks. Do you know if it was bombs?”  
Denar shook his head. “Not with certainty. I checked your seismic instruments. If I read them right, it wasn’t an earthquake. It could have been a landslide.” His brows drew down. “We can only do so much, Matara. I’m sorry. It’s a good thing you’ll be getting out soon. It will take much more extensive work to make this place habitable.”  
“I’ll do the work.” Her tone was firm. “It’s my job.”  
“You may certainly help us while we’re here.” Denar gave her a sharp look. “But you will be coming up with us.”  
“No, I have to stay here. Now more than ever.”  
Tynevek saw another battle brewing between the stubborn pair and stepped in between them. “I’ve worked with lab instruments and materials, Susannah. Why don’t you and I go assess conditions in your lab?”  
“No.” Her chin went up and those blue-green eyes boldly met Denar’s. “I am in charge of the Collection. What I say goes. You are not the government. I am bound by a promise to protect and foster the Project. You need to understand that I’m staying.”  
Denar’s eyes went dark. This time, Kyrnis put his bulk between them. “Now is a good time to eat. Denar, Tynevek made midday meal. You and I will prepare evening meal. We’ll have to clean up in the kitchen before we can cook.”  
Denar’s look was blankly furious for a long moment as he and Susannah locked eyes. Finally, he shook himself and stalked from the room. Kyrnis sauntered after him, shaking his head.   
Tynevek let out a breath. “Matara Susannah, I’m sorry my Dramok is so insistent. He is very dedicated to the rescue effort. He’s concerned for your safety.”  
She turned to him, her gentle smile back in place. “It’s all right. He’s just stubborn and used to being the boss. He’ll see reason soon.”  
Suns! She was underestimating Denar by miles. Then again, perhaps they were all underestimating the determination and loyalty of their lovely host.  
“Well. This decision can certainly wait. Let’s take a look at your instruments. I’m interested in seeing more of your lab.”  
They were in the lab for an hour. Tynevek was again impressed by how knowledgeable Susannah was about so many things. When she was working, she had a laser-like focus, so that whatever she addressed, it had her full attention. Still, he couldn’t help thinking, what price was she paying to be down here, even in her element?  
“This place is set up for many people.” Tynevek watched as she checked her electron microscope. It was primitive by Kalquorian standards but he knew that ordinarily, no Earther female would have been allowed near one. Susannah was a wonder and a mystery. “What happened to all the others, Matara?”  
She answered as she peered at the scope, examining it for damage. “Some quit. Some left to obtain more artifacts. They didn’t return. The rest died.” Her soft voice was even quieter.   
“I’m very sorry, Susannah. That must have been difficult for you.” There had to have been nearly fifty people here at one time, he thought, maybe more. Could they all have died at once? “Was there some illness?”  
She nodded as she tested the armatures of the scope. “It was an accident. Government scientists were working with new strains of influenza, looking to use it against an invasion. So they said. One of our agents was exposed, and he brought it down here with him. It went through the Collection like a brush fire.”  
“You have no vaccines against influenza? I thought that was stamped out on Earth long ago.”  
“They’d stored the virus, then manipulated it in the lab. It was new and virulent and few people had any immunities built up against it, let alone a vaccine. It wiped out thousands, I understand, before the stupid bastards were finally forced to release the vaccine.”   
Her usually soft voice was brittle with anger. He couldn’t see her face as she bent over some slide cases but he saw the bright flush on her cheeks. To think that that same government had been so careless as to unleash a deadly virus into the population made it doubly monstrous. It was tantamount to genocide. Hell, it was suicide!   
It was almost impossible to fathom. His home world was fighting for every life it had and here on Earth they seemed to have been throwing away their abundant life with both hands. It was difficult even for the empathetic Imdiko to grasp.  
“Susannah.” He spoke softly, stepping toward her.  
She straightened and faced him. Her beautiful eyes were stricken but her mouth was firm, her tone even, almost hard. “I had to promess them. All of them.”   
He sought for a definition. “Promess. Promession. It is a means of processing bodily remains by freezing them, yes?”  
She nodded, tersely. “There were only two of us left when it was all over. We took care of all of them, and nursed them, only to watch them die. Then they were gone and we were left to deal with their bodies. Over two dozen, including my papa’s.”  
“Oh, Matara, I am so sorry.” He ached to go to her, to wrap his arms around her and comfort her but he didn’t dare. She wasn’t ready to trust him.   
“I managed. I survived.” Her gentle voice was taut with emotion. “Not long after the bombs fell on the storehouse, Lena, the last of the others, died.”  
His jaw almost dropped. “So when you said you moved to the lower level after the bombing, you meant it was just the two of you?” He tried to keep the horror out of his voice.   
She nodded. “I’m the only one left. I am sole Curator of Storehouse Beta, North American Sector. I’m the one who has to carry on.”  
He was at a loss for words. No wonder she was willing to stand up to Denar. Her very soul was invested in this place.   
“Susannah, I am sorry that all that happened to you. You are very brave. And dedicated. I understand why you are so attached to this place.”  
She turned back to her slides. “So, now you know. I won’t change my mind. I’m staying.”  
Kyrnis stuck his head in the door. “Evening meal is ready, my friends.”  
“Come, Matara Susannah. I’m famished.” Tynevek smiled to help cover his sadness. He sensed that Susannah Talcott might mistake his sadness for pity. Such a brave and determined woman would not welcome that emotion on her behalf. “Let’s go eat.”   
They headed for the stairs. He let Kyrnis and Susannah go ahead of him. He had a new and profound respect for this woman. She was beautiful and feminine and smart, but most of all, she was strong and loyal. She’d faced horrors that no one should have to contemplate and she was still upright, sane, and determined to control her own destiny.   
By all the moons and suns, he wanted her. Even in his sorrow for her story, his desire was acute. Her strength in the face of adversity only attracted him more.   
Denar had a huge fight in store. Tynevek knew their leader was right and she couldn’t be left down here alone. He was damned if he knew how his Dramok would manage it, though, short of knocking her out and dragging her away. But if he did, would Susannah’s devoted heart ever recover? Would she ever forgive them for being Kalquorians, the race that had triggered the ultimate destruction of her home world? Also, despite his need and right to direct this mission, Denar wasn’t heartless himself. Hurting her would be a blow to the Dramok’s ingrained need to protect and support females.  
Everything about this particular rescue mission was a unique challenge: the location, the circumstances, and the remarkable, lovely woman who aroused them and who, he suspected, was every bit as tough as she was desirable and intelligent. He followed her up the stairs, enjoying the view of her backside and smothering the growl that rose in his chest. Oh, yes, his clan was in for a very interesting, trying few days.  
#   
Denar gaped when Tynevek told them what Susannah had shared with him in the lab. “She had to promess them all? Even her father?”   
Tynevek nodded. “Susannah and one other young woman, who died not long after the first bombs fell on the storehouse. Since then, she’s been alone until today, when we arrived.”  
Denar felt almost sick. He’d been through harsh experiences in his life, some of them here, on Earth. But he’d been trained to face those events and most often he had had companions. Susannah was a young woman, and a scholar, not a soldier. The idea of her having to cope with such a crisis virtually alone was a nightmare.   
He growled as he and Kyrnis put together the platform they’d fashioned for their bed. The lights were slowly dimming throughout the storehouse, as the illumination system sought to mimic the change from day into night in this sunless, moonless place. It was a common procedure on many space flights, too, so it wasn’t a surprise. The lower light was actually easier on their more acute Kalquorian vision.   
Kyrnis paused in his work. “Poor Matara. I want to take her away from here. Now.”  
Tynevek raised his hands. “That’s the thing. You can see why she’s so attached to the storehouse. It’s not only her home but she’s invested herself, every part of her, into this place. Those are bonds that are very hard to break.”  
Denar’s appreciation for the woman increased. “She’s a survivor in every sense. And you’re right, my Imdiko. We can’t just tear her out of here. It would be like tearing off a part of her.” He shot a nail into the frame they’d put together of sturdy wooden packing crates.   
Kyrnis sat back on his heels. “You said you thought there was something wrong with her, Denar.”  
Denar paused, the nail gun hovering over the frame. “Yes. But I’m not clear on what it is, exactly.”  
“I think I know.”  
Denar looked at Tynevek. He’d learned long ago to listen to his Imdiko when it came to understanding the emotions of others. Tynevek’s brows drew down in concern.   
“I don’t think she knows about Armageddon.”  
Denar squeezed his eyes shut and set down the gun. “I didn’t want to say it, but that’s what I think, too. I’ve been avoiding the subject.”  
“She knows about the war, she knows about the Empire and the struggle over Mataras, but I don’t think she knows that there were nuclear explosions in major cities everywhere on Earth. I certainly don’t believe she knows how it happened.”  
Kyrnis looked thoughtful. “She told me her com system hasn’t been working well.”  
“And we know communications have been damaged all over the planet.” Denar ran a hand over the side of his face. “She’s been totally cut off.”  
Tynevek dropped to his knees and began to help build. “Armageddon or not, she doesn’t want to leave. We’re supposed to allow the Earthers their choice about being rescued, if they’re adults and healthy.”  
“It’s not right.” Kyrnis glared at the tool in his hand as if it was the source of the injustice.   
“No, but it is part of our mission. We aren’t here to force people.”  
Denar growled as he took up his nail gun again. “She can’t stay here alone without suffering psychological damage. She’s already starving, you said so yourself. We don’t even know what caused the rock fall here today.”   
Kyrnis’ jaw tightened. “She wouldn’t choose to die on Earth.”  
“I believe that, but she’s unaware of the full danger to her. But I have an idea. It’s a temporary fix but it may allow us time to convince her to leave of her own accord.” Tynevek handed a clip of nails to Kyrnis.  
“What’s that?” Denar sat back on his haunches.   
“It may be a while until we can get out of here. What do you say we drop the subject of her leaving and simply concentrate on helping her with repairs and such? Befriend her. She has to have been lonely and I think she needs it. It will give me time to see her better-nourished, too. Getting her healthy might be another tool to help us persuade her.”  
A corner of Denar’s mouth turned down. “It also might make her more resistant. Also, she’s smart enough to be suspicious of our motives.”   
“Maybe. But she may still welcome what we have to offer for the time being. Later, we can broach the subject of leaving. For now, let’s try to win her trust.”  
Denar thought this over for a moment. “When do we tell her about Armageddon?”  
Tynevek shrugged. “I think this might be how we can ease her into that news. When she trusts us more, she might be more ready to accept it. As it is now, I’m afraid she’ll think we’re just making it up to trick her into leaving the storehouse.”  
Denar sent several more nails into the frame before he spoke again. He lined up each one and aimed with great care as he considered. “I agree to your plan, Tynevek. We will be gentler with her. Win her trust.”  
Kyrnis brightened. “We get to woo the Matara?”   
“No, dammit!” Denar shook his head. He couldn’t allow this to get out of hand. “No wooing. No seducing. No touching the rescue subject except in an emergency. We know the rules and we’ll abide by them. Tynevek said to befriend her. We can do that without taking her to bed.”  
“But she would be very nice to take to bed.” Kyrnis looked as wistful as a tough Nobek could manage. Denar and Tynevek both growled. Kyrnis lifted his hands in surrender. “You’re right. Best not to think about that.”  
They finished the platform bed and covered it with rugs and cushions. They found a few blankets and tossed them onto the bed, though three big, warm male bodies would likely provide enough heat to keep them comfortable in the temperate storeroom they’d chosen for their sleeping quarters.   
Later, as Denar lay in the dark, flanked by his sleeping clanmates, he couldn’t take his mind off Susannah Talcott. Why? Was it just her stubborn refusal to accede to his wishes that irritated him so much and kept her at the forefront of his thoughts? Was it his lust for a female, so long denied these past years on Earth, where females were plentiful but also off-limits? Was it just the novelty of finding her, an educated, spirited, young woman in a world where many women had been denied education and had had their spirits beaten into the ground by overbearing, fanatical males? Or was it simply his ingrained need for control, his Dramok instincts?   
He shifted on the bed. Her story had touched his heart and he’d felt immediately the impulse to race to get her the hell out from underground.   
Damn, but he hated being below. Small spaces, even the confines of prolonged space travel didn’t bother him, but being down under things made him sweat. He hoped he could manage his anxiety while they were trapped here. It had been three years. He should be past this by now. He would have to face this before they went home. Kalquor was passionate about preserving its natural beauty and built their homes inside the many mountains of his world. He’d have to accept being under rock.  
He growled softly. He hated the weakness of his fear. He needed to be strong. For his clan. For the mission. For...Susannah.  
There she was again, foremost in his thoughts. His cocks stirred and he wanted to groan. She was a rescue subject, he told himself. She was a stubborn brat. She was emotionally wounded. She was far too complicated to even consider as a bed-partner, because he knew instinctively that for her, sex would be much more than just bodies coupling.  
Yet he was hard, aching.  
He didn’t want this. He didn’t need this.   
A warm hand took hold of his larger cock. He reached out to touch Tynevek’s shoulder. “You don’t have to, my Imdiko. I’m all right.”  
“You need release,” Tynevek murmured sleepily. “I will take care of you.”  
“I know,” Denar said gently. “But I’ll be all right this time.”  
“Wake me if you need me, my Dramok. I can give you something for sleep. You need rest.”  
“Thank you. Go back to sleep.”  
He listened for his Imdiko’s breathing to slow and grow quiet. He turned over and practiced a calming technique and at last his eyes closed. The problem of Susannah Talcott would not get the better of him, he vowed as he drifted into sleep. He wouldn’t allow it.   
The next morning, he went up to the kitchen and found her already up, smelling sweet and clean, her long hair still damp from her shower. She was sitting at the table, wearing her rad suit and nibbling a slice of toasted bread. He frowned at her meager morning meal. Dammit, she was not going to starve on his watch!   
He stalked across the room and began to rummage through the cold storage unit. He found bird eggs, some kind of pink, salty-smelling meat, and butter. He pulled these out, then found a few fresh vegetables and a piece of some sort of fruit pie. He piled them all on the counter and began to cook. Grumbling under his breath, he found plates and utensils and a bag of something he knew Earthers loved. But he had no idea how to prepare it, so he put it back. Maybe one of his clanmates knew how to cook the roasted pits of coffee seeds into a drinkable liquid.   
When he was finished and turned to the table with two plates heaped high with food, he saw Susannah regarding him like some new species she’d just discovered. Which, he supposed, he was. He plopped a plate down in front of her and took a seat across the table, scowling. He pointed. “Eat all of it. You need more food.”  
She looked down at the full plate and swallowed, hard. She looked a little green, which he knew wasn’t the right color for an Earther. She didn’t eat.  
He growled. “What?”   
She made an odd, gulping sound. “Too much. I’ll be sick if I eat all that.”  
He looked at her plate. His irritation softened. She’d been starving. Her small stomach wouldn’t tolerate that much food, and moreover, she wasn’t an adult Kalquorian male.  
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Matara.” He took her plate back to the counter and scraped half of it onto another plate. He brought her the rest. “Here.”  
“Thank you.” Her smile was genuinely sweet and the green tinge left her peachy complexion. “I’m not much of a cook. This is very nice.”  
“You’re welcome.” He began to eat.  
She tasted her food and smiled at him again. His heart melted. He just couldn’t stay angry under the force of that smile.   
“Sorry to be so stern. I can be—what’s the word? Gripe-y?”  
“Grouchy? Grumpy?”  
“Which is like a bear with a sore paw?”  
She giggled and he felt his cocks stir at the delightful, feminine sound. He’d only encountered it in Earthers and Susannah’s was especially charming. He would love to hear that sound in his ear during bed-play. By the ancients, she was quickly wiping out last night’s resolve!  
She tapped a finger to her chin. “Grouchy, I think.”   
He nodded. “Yes. I can be grouchy in the morning.”   
“You’re an early riser.” She chewed her eggs thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”  
“Oh? Why is that?”  
“Because you’re such a hard-charger. I watched you yesterday. You go after what you want, full speed ahead. I’ll bet your friends can hardly keep up with you.”  
He snorted. “I think you mean they can hardly put up with me. I’m told I can be the hole of an ass, sometimes.”  
She choked. “Hole of an ass?” Her eyes danced as she coughed into her napkin.   
He frowned. “Not the right words?”  
Her laughter bubbled up and if he thought her giggles were delightful, he didn’t think he’d ever heard a more intoxicating sound than her laugh. It went straight to the center of him and made him wish he could make her do it again, right away. Then, he’d pull off her clothes and lick her from head to toe. Right before he sank his cock into her—  
“Asshole.”  
He started. “What?”  
“I think the term you’re looking for is asshole, not hole of an ass.” Her words yanked him back from his sexual reverie. “It’s not a term of endearment.”  
He thought about it for a moment and then he got it. “Ahh. I see the difference. And yes, the term I was seeking was asshole.” Whew.  
She nodded. “My Papa could be like that. But he was grouchy in the afternoons, not mornings. Mama arranged it so someone brought him a roll and tea every day at three o’clock.”  
“And did that work?”  
“Oh, yes. Not only did he sweeten up, she said, but it kept his mouth occupied for a while so he couldn’t snap at everyone.”  
He chuckled. “An elegant solution.”  
“Are you a soldier?”   
Abrupt change of topic. What a mind she had! “Officially, I’m a captain in the Imperial air corps. I serve on what I think you call spaceships.”  
She looked rapt. “And flying in space, is it exciting?”  
“I think so. It makes some people sick. Others find it boring, and it can be. There’s a lot of time spent just sailing through blackness.”  
“Have you been to other places besides Kalquor and Earth?”  
He pointed to her plate. “Eat, Matara. And yes, I’ve been to several other planets and systems in your galaxy and mine.”  
“Another galaxy.” She took a bite of pie and munched, eyes dreamy. “Space travel is limited to our military forces and some trade ships,” she said after she swallowed. “Earth women haven’t gone into space for a century or more, except as civilian workers or passengers to the colonies. Have you been to Mars?”  
He shook his head. “Nothing there except a few minerals and we have plenty of those on Kalquor.”  
“If you’re a captain in the air corps, what are you doing here?” She took a quick sip of the tea he’d brought her. “I mean, I know what you’re doing, I just don’t know why.”  
He sat back. He watched her face carefully as he recited the official line, carefully avoiding the subject of Armageddon. “The war has been bad for your planet. We know that radiation levels are growing and it’s spreading. We are dedicated to offering rescue and relocation to as many Earth citizens as we can locate.”  
“Does that mean you don’t fly anymore?”   
He relaxed. She wasn’t going to question him about rescues or Armageddon. She was merely asking him about himself. That thought cheered him.  
“I fly the small Tri-bus shuttles sometimes while we’re on a mission. And I sometimes pilot the larger shuttle that goes to the main transport ship in orbit.”  
Tynevek came in then, beaming on them both. He sniffed the air. “Something smells good. Are those bird eggs and ham meat?”  
Susannah nodded. “Denar made me breakfast. It’s delicious but I can’t eat it all. You can have the other half.”  
“Thank you, Matara. Thank you, my Dramok.”  
“Denar says you think he’s an asshole in the mornings, but I think he’s just fine.”  
It was Denar’s turn to choke. Tynevek hooted.   
“He’s being polite to impress you, Matara. He’s like a bear with a thorn in its paw most mornings.”  
She grinned at Denar. “That’s just what he said. But I still disagree.”  
Kyrnis entered. “Food. Any left?”  
“Not much. Here, let me help make more.” Susannah rose and went to the stove.   
Denar caught Tynevek eyeing him. He lifted a brow. Tynevek said nothing but his eyes were bright with mischief.   
Damned Imdiko. After all their years together, his clanmate knew him too well. He knew Denar’s resolve to be strong and he also knew it had been dealt a body-blow within less than an hour of spending time alone with Susannah.   
Be her friend, he reminded himself. Keep your distance and you’ll be fine.


	4. Chapter Four

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Four 

 

The Kalquorians were not so bad, Susannah thought, three days later. They’d been polite and helpful and no one had mentioned her needing to leave since that first day. Maybe they’d gotten the message. She didn’t enjoy arguing with them.  
After the second day, Kyrnis and Denar had inspected the passage to the surface, but had come back looking dark and frustrated. She and Tynevek prepared lunch and the other two sat at the kitchen table while they reported.  
“The route we took down here is completely blocked. I’m not certain, but it looks like the rockfall extends from the small area where we met you, Susannah, all the way back to the surface.”  
She turned from the cooker to look at them, then bit her lip. They really were trapped.  
Kyrnis leaned toward her. “Is there another entry, Matara?”  
She thought for a moment. If they really were blocked in at the front, then they it was no use not to tell them everything.  
She shook her head. “The other exit was connected to a tunnel that extended far south from the storehouse. It collapsed even before the flu epidemic. We were pretty sure it was structural weakness, but we never had the means…or the people required to go in, examine it, and make extensive repairs.”  
“Where is this exit?”  
She walked to the table and drew an air sketch above the tabletop with her fingertip. “The entry’s on the next to lowest level, southeast wall, beyond the storage area. It’s blocked in with crates and pallets of museum pieces marked as canned goods and toiletries. They were the last artifacts we received. Lena and I managed to get the forklift working long enough to put them in place, just for the sake of security.”  
Denar pursed his lips. “In all the confusion yesterday, we overlooked it entirely. We saw no sign of it on our way in, though we came in from the south of here. It’s already overgrown, would be my guess.”  
“The entry to the tunnel was inside an old hanger, through a trap hidden in the floor. Miles from here.”  
“Not a bad ruse.” Kyrnis glanced at Denar. “Do you want to explore?”  
Denar was slow to answer. “I guess we’d better. If there’s an easier way, we need to find it. We’ll need some sounding equipment so we can we can determine what’s on the other side we go tunneling.” He rubbed his forehead.  
Tynevek moved quickly to place a dish of roasted nuts in front of Denar. “Here. Start on these. Susannah and I will have the rest of lunch ready in a moment.”  
Susannah caught a flicker of worry cross the Imdiko’s handsome face, then it was wiped away in a smile for her. “Matara Susannah and I found many preserved vegetables and even some frozen meats, so we’ve made soup.”  
Susannah thought he was trying to distract his clanmates but she wasn’t sure why. She simply nodded and turned back to slicing bread to go with the thick, aromatic soup Tynevek was stirring.  
After lunch, they all went down to Level Six. She was surprised and delighted when Kyrnis got the forklift up and running in blink. She’d thought it was utterly dead. She watched anxiously as Denar maneuvered the vehicle around the crates and boxes, but he had a deft touch with the lift and soon had a path safely cleared to the wall.  
Tynevek smiled down at her. “My Dramok is an excellent pilot. I’ve seen him fly a shuttle through an orchard.”  
She giggled. “That must have been something.”  
The tall doctor looked like he was going to move closer, then changed his mind and turned back to watch as Kyrnis joined Denar and they examined the vast entry doors. Susannah noticed they checked radiation levels before anything else. Why were they so worried about radiation, especially down here? She guessed it was probably just their way. Perhaps there was a lot of excess radioactivity on Kalquor.  
“Matara.” Denar motioned to her. “Does this keypad still work?”  
She trotted over to them. “I’m not sure. It probably does.”  
Denar stepped aside and she entered the code for the door--the last one she recalled was the date of the Battle of Hastings:1066. They listened as the door-mechanism whirred, clicked, died.  
“The pad may work, but it looks like the mechanicals have been damaged.” Denar nodded to Kyrnis. “Diagnostics?”  
Kyrnis pulled up a box full of electronic parts he’d selected from the storehouse supply shelves. He had put together some sort of a meter that Susannah didn’t recognize, although it looked to be part metal detector and part thermal sensing device. He raised the wand and ran it over the surface of the door, as much of it as he could reach. It hummed, then seemed to stutter.  
The big Nobek nodded. “Broken circuit in the relay system. I don’t know how we can get to it without taking apart the whole door.”  
Denar squinted around. “No chance you could finagle the keypad?”  
“Won’t help. I don’t know how the circuit wires are laid out. There’s no way I could figure out how to find a shortcut or a bypass.”  
Tynevek joined them. “Susannah, are there blueprints or circuitry maps in your files?”  
“I can look.”  
“Show me, please, little one.”  
“Right this way, big one.” She blushed furiously at her own silliness and hurried away. She was actually flirting, wasn’t she? Chuckles followed after her, then Kyrnis was at her side.  
They spent a short time in the Engineering library, locating the blueprints. There were several, as the storehouse had grown in sections and by levels.  
“These should do the trick, little one.” He stood up from where he’d been leaning over a pair of prints of Level Six, old Level One and the south tunnel. “These are just what I needed.”  
“I’m glad.” She felt herself coloring up again under his warm regard. She looked down, moving toward the door.  
“Wait.”  
She halted, turned, and looked up at the giant who seemed to take up so much room even in so large a space. His grin softened to a smile.  
“Thank you, Susannah. I know you don’t like having us here. You didn’t have to help me. To help us.”  
She tried to look away but his deep cat-eyes held hers. He didn’t look nearly so ferocious right now. “You’re welcome. I can use the information about that entry.”  
He swept a hand and ushered her out and down to Level Six. She smiled to herself as she walked beside him. She liked the doctor and now she thought she might like the Nobek, too.  
As for Denar, that remained to be seen.  
All the same, she began to relax around the Kalquorians. She tried to forget they were set on taking her away from here. They seemed genuinely interested in the Collection and while they worked, they patiently answered her many questions about their world. She gleefully started a file in her data systems, adding information gleaned from firsthand accounts of life on Kalquor. So much to know!  
She showed them how to play ping pong in the large rec room. They took to it like naturals, except they had to stand yards back from the table. If they didn’t, the ball would flatten if it hit the table, or the wall. Once, it even flattened in the air from the force of Kyrnis’ paddle and simply dropped, with a plak, onto the table.  
He told her about kurble, the sport on his planet that was favored by Nobeks. She was horrified to learn the ball not only had spurs on it but the tips were poisoned.  
“Don’t worry, Matara. There are always several Imdikos and other medics on the sidelines, ready to administer antidotes and patch us up.”  
She considered it. “I suppose it isn’t all that shocking. In Mesoamerica, there was a game in which the players struck a nine-pound, solid rubber ball with just their hips. The games were a big deal and sometimes even included human sacrifice as part of the tournaments.”  
It was the Nobek’s turn to look horrified. But she could also see excitement in the depths of his eyes. Bloody, dangerous play seemed to arouse something bestial in him. She shivered, but she was also intrigued. Kalquorians were just plain fascinating.  
She turned on the projection system one evening and they watched old vids together. The clan seemed especially interested in Die Hard, the action movie from long, long ago, as well as some of the newer adventure vids. They cheered for the hero, hissed the villains, and hooted with satisfaction whenever a bad guy met a bloody end. They were spellbound by Shakespeare’s Henry V and openly mourned at the scene where the young boys were discovered slaughtered. They fell into solemn silence when the English troops went over the battlefield gathering their fallen comrades in their arms.  
They really get into stories, she thought. It was something she had in common with them: stories were very important in both their cultures.  
She looked around at their big bodies sprawled over the rugs in the rec room and sighed. Okay, life was more than just stories and data. Their physical presence began to get to her. There was the world of the flesh, after all. They were so damn gorgeous, she thought for the hundredth time: long and sleek, muscled and strong. She so wanted to touch their smooth brown skin, slide her fingers through their dark hair. If she could just touch them, that would satisfy her curiosity, she was sure.  
But they’d never so much as patted her shoulder. All right, Kyrnis had tackled her that first day and then once he yanked her out of the way of falling plaster but that was all. Also, Tynevek had sheltered her under the table during the explosions. Those events certainly hadn’t had anything to do with sex, though.  
She knew enough about her body to know she wanted them sexually, but she didn’t know how to go about getting what she wanted. She wondered for what seemed the thousandth time what it would be like to make love with a man. Of course, she knew how it was done, at least within her species. Her papa and other women in the project had made sure she was well-educated about sex and they’d taught her that sex was good, normal, and healthy, including self-pleasuring. They’d made it clear that sex with someone you cared deeply for was what making love was all about and it was the best sex of all. Would it be as glorious as they assured her? Was it like what was described in romance books? Would she ever fall in love?  
She snorted. She knew the difference between fantasy and reality. Fall in love? She’d calculated her chances and the results said slim to none.  
Her thoughts strayed to Tynevek and his marvelous face and kindly ways. He’d be a very sweet lover, she thought. Those perfect lips looked like they’d give wonderful kisses.  
Then there was Kyrnis, whose body she’d felt twice now. How different his body was from hers! What would it be like to explore those magnificent muscles and that sleek, warm flesh?  
Denar. Denar gave her the shivers. Even when he smiled, he looked dangerous. Would he be dangerous in bed? She giggled. He’d be bossy, she knew that much.  
She sighed. This was all just a dream. She was no Kalquorian woman or some exotic female from one of those other planets they’d visited. She wasn’t someone who could please these men. She was just Susannah of Earth. Nothing like the exciting, foreign clan that had invaded her home.  
Still, curiosity drove her. She needed to do what she did well: she needed to get educated about the Kalquorians.  
#  
Kyrnis swore at the cobbled-together com system he’d set up in their quarters. Four days and there was still no response from either their Earth-based forces or the transport ship that waited above the planet. It was as if their company had vanished.  
“Where the hell are they?” He glowered at the mess of cables and links he’d added to his tablet computer.  
“You’ll get through.” Tynevek came up behind him to look at his work. “It may be an atmospheric interference.”  
“Or maybe they’re all dead.” Kyrnis’ usually buoyant personality had been blunted. He hated feeling confined and powerless.  
Tynevek’s hand rested on his shoulder for a moment. “You’re the best there is for making something from chewing gum and baling wire.”  
Kyrnis snorted at the Earther expression Susannah had taught them. He’d been revolted by the notion of what she called bubble gum, but baling wire made sense.  
Tynevek continued. “Keep trying. There’s reason to hope.”  
“It’s been too long. I’m out of ideas. I want to get Susannah out of here.” He scowled. “I want Denar out of here.”  
“I know. I do, too.” Tynevek sat cross-legged on their sleeping platform, re-fusing a seam in one of their formsuits. “Though he seems to be coping well, despite being so far underground.”  
Kyrnis faced his Imdiko. “I don’t want him to suffer anymore.”  
Tynevek’s face was grave. “Nor do I. It was all he could do to hide his anxiety when we came down that rockfall into the storehouse. Fortunately, he had an immediate distraction.”  
“Susannah.” Kyrnis had looked up the name. He grinned. “Susannah means lily. It is a beautiful flower.”  
He felt a surge of desire rocket up his spine at the mention of their host, the Curator. The pretty female with the long, gold-bronze hair and the tender smile was becoming a torment for his long-denied hungers. He’d caught glimpses of her when she went to the swimming pool and the contours of her form outlined by her snug swimming costume had been so alluring, he’d had to step away, his erections straining against his formsuit.  
The need for a soft body, one that held sweet, moist passages so welcoming to his hardness was biting into him day and night. He sensed that Susannah in particular, with her lovely eyes and stunningly desirable form, was a perfect answer to those needs.  
“Kyrnis, don’t.” Tynevek groaned and slapped at the air, which was growing scented with cinnamon-y arousal. “I know what you’re thinking.”  
“Tell me you don’t want her.”  
Tynevek bit his lip. He looked beseechingly at his clanmate, then his shoulders sagged. “I want her so much I feel like an adolescent, always hard, always aching for her. I’ve even dreamed about her and almost come in my sleep. But we can’t have her and that’s all.”  
Kyrnis wrestled with his hopes and his doubts. “Do you think she wants us even a little bit?”  
Tynevek rubbed his neck. “I can’t tell. I’m like you, I’ve never had an Earther female. Most of the ones we’ve met here have had their sexual natures distorted almost beyond recall. I don’t know how a normal Earther acts when she desires sex.”  
“My brother and his clan say Earthers can be very passionate. Their Matara fulfills all their needs, in every way. Can you imagine?”  
“Kyrnis, you’re killing me! Hell, yes, I can imagine a million ways to enjoy Susannah.” He finished his mending, rose in one graceful movement and went to hang the suit over a peg in the wall.  
“Denar wants her.”  
“Did he tell you that?” Tynevek returned to the sleeping platform.  
“Does he have to?”  
“No, I suppose not. He’s been awake and hard almost every night we’ve been here. He showers alone and I imagine he relieves his needs while he’s there. He refuses my offers to give him release.”  
“Mine, too.”  
“I think his desire is solely for a female right now and who could blame him? I think he’s uncomfortable lusting after a rescue subject. He’s as smitten with Susannah as we are, but he’ll never abandon his duty.”  
Kyrnis turned back to his com gear. After a moment, he asked, “So, you think her desire for sex is normal?”  
“Have you peeked into some of the books she keeps in her sleeping room?” Tynevek’s voice was lighter, amused. “Many of them are about men and women and their sex together. I think it’s safe to say Susannah has a healthy appetite for sex. Or, at least an interest in sex.”  
Kyrnis banged his head on the desktop. “Fates save me. We find the one woman on Earth with normal desires, we’re alone with her in this place, and we cannot touch her.”  
“We have each other. We always have.”  
“Is that enough for you, especially with Susannah around? We all prefer females.”  
Tynevek shook his head. “No, it isn’t enough. I’m not criticizing, my Nobek, but while sex with my clan is always good, it’s no substitute for being deep inside a woman. I’ve been told that Earther females are every bit as soft and warm as they look.”  
Kyrnis growled at the image. His sexes stirred and heated just at the thought being deep inside soft, warm Susannah. How was he to survive this test?  
“I’ve got to reach the outside.” His voice was tight. “They have to get us out of here before we three explode. Or disgrace our mission.”  
#  
That evening, Tynevek was in the kitchen, doing cleanup with Susannah. He was enough of a traditionalist that he didn’t like to see a Matara doing housework. On Kalquor, that was a job for the three males of the clan, or, if the clan was well-off, for servants. Susannah had insisted on doing her share, though, and he found the task was a good opportunity to get to know her better. He handed her a plate to dry and she beamed at him.  
Her smile had the power to melt his insides. He wished he could see it more often, but the serious young woman didn’t shine it out too often.  
“Where did you live before you came to the storehouse?” He plunged his hands into the soapy water.  
“I’ve never lived anywhere else.” She put the dry dish into the storage space.  
He was again taken by surprise. “You’ve—you were born down here?”  
“Yes.”  
“But your mother, didn’t she go to a hospital to give birth?” He’d read that was the way most Earther women managed childbirth.  
“No. I was told I was in a big hurry to arrive, so, even if they had wanted to take my mama up above, they never would have made it. There was a doctor and a midwife living with us at that time and they delivered me.”  
“There were other children to play with?”  
“Some of the time, yes. There were seven of us in all when I was little, all of us born in the storehouse.” She took another plate from him and applied the towel. “It was a good time. We all studied together, and the adults took turns teaching us and taking care of us. It was like what people once called a commune, where everyone shared almost everything and everyone looked out for each other.” Her face looked wistful at the memory.  
“Did the other children get the influenza?”  
“No. By the time the virus came down here, Lena and I were the only two of the five left, and we were adults by then, of course.” She dried a pot, staring ahead. “When the others were close to their teens, their parents decided they simply couldn’t let them grow up without knowing more of their world. They wanted them to have more choices of friends and mates. They went up. I’ve often wondered what happened to them.”  
“It sounds like you had a large family down here before they left.”  
She gave a brief smile. “Yes. We had some wonderful times. Holidays and birthdays were so much fun. We always celebrated Christmas by reading aloud Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales. We had a big tree and all of us kids got to decorate it with ornaments we’d made. Some of them were bug-ugly but our parents never let on.”  
“Bug-ugly.” He tried the expression and grinned. “Nice sound. I like that.”  
“Some people would say butt-ugly instead.”  
“Are butts ugly for Earthers?”  
She giggled and he rejoiced to hear it.  
“No. At least, not to me. But then, I like bugs, too, so I’m no judge.”  
“I think butts are very nice.”  
She looked away suddenly and busied herself putting away the cups. “Anyway, we had some great times back then.”  
“It sounds nice. But you never went outside?”  
“Oh, no, I went out. Papa took me on three trips outside. One to the mountains, one to the ocean, and one to the desert. There are some beautiful places on our world. I remember Yosemite Park was breathtaking. We were there for four days.”  
Three brief trips, that was the sum of her experience with the outside world. No wonder she was hungry to hear about other places. He drained the sink and dried his hands. They walked to the sitting area and she sat on the lounge with her feet tucked up under her.  
“You never visited any of the cities?” He settled into a chair opposite her.  
She shook her head. “It was too dangerous. There were enough patrols we had to meet just to go into the wilderness areas. You see, we had disappeared. That is, Papa had disappeared from the outside. Everyone in the Project did everything they could to ensure we had no connection to the government, including filing fake death certificates. No identification or birth records or passports; they were all destroyed. Because I was born in the storehouse, I never had any records to begin with. Technically, I don’t exist.”  
You exist for me. For my clan, little scholar. If only we could prove it to you.  
“So, every time you went out, you had to have false identification?”  
“Yes. And we held our breath at every checkpoint. There were only so many times and places where we could travel where they would not do a rigorous check on our papers and eye scans. Finally, things outside were just too crazy and we stopped trying. We added the vid walls so we had many, many views of outside from our data banks. Far more than most people ever see! We set up simulated daylight in many places and it adjusts seasonally. We have the garden and the greenhouse. We were all right.”  
But no fresh air, he wanted to argue. No breeze on your beautiful face. No animals or lakes or forests. Yet, he thought, if that was all she knew, she likely didn’t miss it all that much. But the loss of all her people? That was more serious.  
Once again, he wanted to go to her, to hold her and remind her of what it felt like to touch another living being. Damn the restrictions! Damn his own scruples for holding them to their obligations. Sometimes honor wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  
“Tynevek.”  
He brought himself out of his dark reverie. “Yes, Susannah?”  
“Would you be willing to share images of Kalquor with me? Do you have a vid I could use on my walls?”  
No! No, you can’t have pictures of Kalquor. I want you to come there and see it for yourself.  
He forced himself to reply. “Yes, I can do that.”  
“Thank you.”  
They said goodnight not long afterward and he stomped around their sleeping room as he prepared for bed. Kyrnis and Denar were making their security rounds for the night. He’d been caught off guard by the vehemence of his reaction to her simple request for a vid of his home. He had known he was that desperate to get her into his arms and into their bed. He hadn’t known that he’d already grown so attached to her.  
He wanted to be happy in his feelings. He might be falling in love with her and he wanted to be in love and glory in it. But the situation was too complicated, too delicate. Even if Susannah were not off limits, there was no guarantee his clanmates shared his emotions toward her, beyond basic desire. They’d taken females, together and separately, and enjoyed them, but as for love, it could end badly if they weren’t united in their feelings. When it came to actually clanning a Matara, it was even more difficult, for all of them had to agree absolutely. He’d heard of clanmates forcing a clanning and it hadn’t turned out well. Clanning was for life and he didn’t take that lightly. He wanted a Matara for life.  
But, he told himself, he didn’t want Susannah for his Matara. Not yet, anyway. He had to let his feelings of affection for her remain unexpressed. He had to stifle his desire for her. He had no choice.  
He growled as he stripped out of his formsuit and stalked to the showers. Denar might eschew his clan’s help to relieve his sexual needs, but if this long, cold shower didn’t work, he’d be turning to them tonight. He ached too much to endure it much longer.  
#  
Susannah sat on her bed, contemplating the page on her reader, her mouth open, eyes wide.  
Twin penises.  
Kalquorian men had two penises, according to this picture outlining Kalquorian anatomy. One penis that went into the vagina, and another that would be inserted into the anal passage. What that might feel like she couldn’t imagine but it made her shiver, all the same.  
There wasn’t much else in the article. It noted their great size and strength and their practice of clanning in family groups of three males to one female. There was also a vague mention of the males biting females during sex, and injecting a potent intoxicant or a paralyzing agent. She read with especial interest that the three males in each clan usually shared one female. It did not, however, explain the mechanics of how that was managed.  
She sighed. That was the trouble with so many of their references. Most Earther sources described Kalquorians as hideous devils, running around ripping people’s flesh and raping everyone from women and children to livestock and family pets. Godless monsters, all of them. She thought of Clan Denar’s stunning good looks, their unfailing courtesy and friendliness, and their unfeigned interest in her and her work and snickered. If Kalquorians were raping devils, why had Providence sent her a physician, an engineer and an architect to be her rapist devils? What sort of devil was a warrior who feared soda pop? Or a leader who cooked for her? Or an alien with eyes so warm and kind, it felt like she could tell him anything and he’d understand?  
She giggled. “Terrifying!”  
She should have known the official sources would get it wrong. Unless, of course, she’d been visited by the only decent Kalquorians in the universe. The statistics on that were implausibly out of balance. It stood to reason that their attitudes had been shaped by the society in which they were raised. That society must be pretty decent, she thought wistfully. Maybe far moreso than her own.  
Without a fresh feed from other Project members, she had no reliable data on the alien race that had conquered Earth, the ones who’d invaded her home. She had to make do with what she had and it was pretty limited.  
She studied the picture of the naked male and female, their light cocoa-toned skin rippling with well-defined muscles. Kalquorians were beautiful, she decided. Denar’s clan were nothing if not strong, she thought. And tall. And those bulges in the front of their formsuits, even when quiescent, were formidable. Would those organs fit into her own? Earther women’s organs were quite flexible, she understood, but really, these men far exceeded the term “well-endowed.”  
She set aside the reader and moved restlessly on the bed. Information was all well and good. She was supplied with enough data to at least make an educated guess at how sex with the clan might be conducted. But how would it feel? Would it be like the sex in her beloved romance novels? Would she be squashed under those huge bodies? Would it be painful? Were there parts of the process that would be soft, like kisses?  
She wanted to have sex with the Kalquorians. Just for one night. She thought perhaps the clan would like to have sex, maybe even with an inexperienced Earther female. The only hitch she could see was their insistence that she was going to be a rescued Earther female and leave the storehouse when their teammates arrived. Would that keep them from sharing sex with her, even if it was only the one time? Denar, especially, seemed angriest when it came to her resolve to keep her vow and stay with the Collection. Would they all reject her on his command?  
“Oh, hell,” she huffed, sliding off the bed. This was getting her nowhere.  
Just one night. They’d be gone soon. If this didn’t work out, she wouldn’t have to face them for long. Besides, she wasn’t some goofy teenager. She was a full-grown woman with needs and desires of her own.  
She stripped, brushed out her hair, and left the room. She moved along the corridor with sure steps, even though the lights were almost all out. She’d grown up here, every place was familiar to her. She found the door to the room the clan had commandeered and paused just outside. Her heart was beating quickly and she was feeling alive to every nuance of the air around her nude body.  
It was now or never.  
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. She couldn’t see them very well, but the clan was sprawled on a pile of carpets and pillows, their big bodies at rest for a change. She took another step into the room, going silently on bare feet. She heard a soft, deep voice.  
“Susannah? Is something wrong?”  
She froze. Her eyes were adjusting to the light, with the aid of the dim glow through the window panel in the door behind her. It was Kyrnis. There was a rustle on the big sleeping mat and she knew the other two aliens had woken and were sitting up to stare at her. With their excellent night vision, she knew they could see her, see her body. There was a soft hiss and a growl. She felt her insides flutter. Here goes.  
“Susannah.” It was Denar’s voice. “Are you all right?”  
The room seemed to grow warmer. Suddenly, she caught their unique cinnamon scent, could almost taste it on her tongue. She took another step toward them.  
“Stop.” It was Tynevek who spoke now. “If there’s nothing you need help with, Susannah, you need to go back to your room.” His voice sounded deeper than usual. Rougher.  
She shook her head. “I want to be with you.” She gathered her courage. She had every right to ask, didn’t she? “I want to...lie with you.”  
The temperature rose again. The cinnamon scent intensified.  
“Susannah,” Denar said curtly, “go back to your room. Now.”  
“Lock your door,” added Kyrnis.  
She took yet another step closer. “But I do need help. I need to have sex with you. I need to know.”  
Groans and growls. Were those yes groans? Or no groans?  
Tynevek spoke. “You are an innocent and an Earther subject for rescue and evacuation. You are a virgin, yes?”  
“I am. But I don’t want to be. I want to experience sex.”  
“She’s killing me,” Kyrnis said under his breath.  
She came still closer. “I am inexperienced but I am not an innocent.” She felt her courage gathering. “I’m twenty-four years old and I’ve never been with a man. I want my first time to be with you. You don’t need to protect me.”  
“No, Susannah—”  
“Yes,” hissed Kyrnis.  
“Susannah.” Tynevek again. “Your virginity is a special gift, sweet one. You will want to save it for when you are with your clan.”  
“I want you for my clan. You are my Earth clan. My clan for tonight. I don’t want to wait.” There was a long pause. She tried not to fidget.  
“You are sure?” Denar said, low.  
“I am.”  
“Susannah, do you know what it means to be with the whole clan? What it means to be with Kalquorians?” Tynevek asked. “We aren’t exactly like men of Earth.”  
“You have two penises. And you like to share a female’s body. You are bigger than Earther males. I know all this. I still want to go to bed with you.”  
“Denar.” Kyrnis’ voice seemed full of warning, as if he were on the verge of attacking.  
“Denar?” Tynevek asked softly.  
She waited. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Denar sighed.  
“Yes, Susannah. Come lie with us.”  
She padded to the sleeping mat and sank down, sitting on her knees. “Tell me what to do.”


	5. Chapter Five

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Five

 

Suddenly, she was on her back, big, calloused hands were touching her everywhere, rubbing and stroking and tickling. All of it was gentle and delightful. Her body warmed almost instantly and she felt herself growing moist between her thighs. The familiar scent of cinnamon caught her attention.  
“It’s arousal, isn’t it? Your scent. You smell like cinnamon when you are sexually aroused.”  
Kyrnis chuckled. It was a darker, more sensual laugh than his usually good-natured humor. “Yes, little one. You arouse us. Your sweet body has been tormenting us for days.”  
Denar whispered near her ear. “We'll have to make you pay for that torment.”  
She shivered. What did he mean?  
Her shivers faded as each man gathered her close and kissed her in turn, stroking her hair and murmuring softly. Their lips were surprisingly soft and warm, and they touched her face lightly, wondering expressions on their handsome faces. She smiled at them. So far, kissing exceeded her expectations.  
Their hands resumed the exciting strokes. Tynevek took her breasts in his warm, long-fingered hands and cupped them with a growl.  
“So soft. So full. You are a delight, little scholar.”  
Denar rose up and took her chin in his hand. He held her firmly, staring down at her with dark intensity. She swallowed. He wasn’t hurting her but she felt almost imprisoned by his touch, his gaze. The other two moved back, leaving her with the Dramok.  
“You have never had a man before, Susannah, and we will be gentle with you. Do you understand?”  
She nodded. There was a “but” coming soon, she knew.  
“We will be gentle but you need to know that we are by nature a dominating race. In matters of sex, we will insist on being in charge. You don’t need to worry. It’s not a matter of force, Susannah, but of trust. We need you to trust that we won’t harm you but you must be prepared to allow us to take charge.” His stare became piercing but his voice grew warmer. “Can you do that, little one? Can you trust us to bring you pleasure, even if it means giving up control?”  
She wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. But the idea of letting these three take control was as beguiling as it was scary. She considered for a long moment. She didn’t know anything about sex. What else could she do but let them take charge? It was what she’d asked for, after all.  
“Will you surrender to us here, tonight?”  
She looked at Tynevek and Kyrnis, who sat to one side, their faces slightly shadowed, but she could see they were waiting, almost anxiously, for her answer. She wanted their hands back on her. She wanted to know all that was waiting for her in their embrace.  
She nodded. He lifted an eyebrow. She understood. “Yes. I will.”  
She saw the light in Denar’s eyes flash. He smiled and while his smile was lovely, it was also dangerous. She swallowed again.  
“Very well, sweetling.”  
Denar let go of her chin and bent down to kiss her, slowly, tenderly. When he lifted his head, she heard Kyrnis heave a loud groan.  
“Thank the ancients!”  
The other two chuckled and Tynevek was suddenly with her again, peppering tiny kisses all over her face. She giggled with delight. He smiled down at her, his gorgeous face as delighted as a child’s.  
“Thank you, Susannah.” His hand stroked her cheek. “Thank you for trusting us. We want you to relax now and just enjoy. Do as we ask.” He reached down and filled his hands with her breasts. “Let us do everything, little one.”  
She writhed in pleasure as he began to play with her nipples, rubbing and shaping and even pinching them. She’d never imagined such a feeling. Denar lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, long and languorously. His tongue slipped between her lips as his hand on her chin urged her to open to him so he could sweep his tongue into her mouth. Oh, yes, kissing was very nice, she thought, just like she’d hoped. And their touches! Their touches were making her feel drugged and loose-limbed from pleasure. She was sighing, almost singing with the pure sensation they brought her.  
Kyrnis ran his huge hands up and down her legs, going a little higher each time, smoothing his way upward, edging closer and closer to the very sensitive area at the juncture of her thighs. She whimpered, feeling herself wanting to draw him closer to that spot that was tormentingly excited, but she was pinned by all of them, unable to do anything other than respond.  
“How do you feel, sweet one?” Tynevek stroked her hair as Denar pulled back from her mouth.  
“Lovely. This is very nice. May I touch you?”  
“Not yet,” Denar said. “We are in charge. You are to lie back and let us show you what pleasure you can have.”  
Tynevek lowered his mouth to her breast. His mouth closed over one taut nipple and she felt his tongue lick it firmly. She gasped and arched as a sharp dart of almost painful pleasure streaked its way from her breast all the way to her feminine center. She had never felt anything like it and it made her writhe beneath him. She put her hands up to touch him, but Denar took hold of them and pulled them over her head. She glanced up to see him grin at Kyrnis, who had moved between her legs, his big hands still warmly stroking, upward, over her thighs.  
She gasped as Tynevek’s lips closed more tightly over her nipple, suckling on her. She almost came off the bed but all three of them had her anchored in place. In the next moment, Kyrnis’s hand met the sensitive flesh at her very center. He stroked through her folds and she cried out in wonder.  
“Oh, that’s so good.” New sensations were swamping her, rendering her helpless against the onslaught of their attentions. She’d never dreamed of being touched in this way. She might have read about it and been aroused, but to experience it was far, far different.  
Denar sank to her mouth again and his kiss was even more demanding, his tongue darting in and out, its slightly rough texture a wonder. She moaned into his mouth as Kyrnis stroked more deeply and insistently along the wet crease of her sex. A large finger pressed against the entrance to her sheath and she bucked, startled, and cried out.  
“Shh,” Kyrnis soothed. “Hush, little one. There is more.”  
She lay, spellbound as the Nobek simply played at her entrance, his finger slipping easily in the juice of her arousal. Slowly, easily, his finger slid inside and filled the space that had never been filled before. She tried to move, it felt so achy and still so good, but she was pinned fast. Heating up and melting, she thought. They were making her turn to butter on a hot skillet, just with their hands and mouths. It was all happening so quickly. Was it possible to make slow this down?  
That was her brain talking. Her body was setting off clarion calls of need, demands. She wanted to scream, move, writhe. She wanted all of it, now. Why had she promised they might have control?  
She tried her best, but her scholar’s mind had slipped away. She became a creature of pure, physical sensation. Tynevek took each of her breasts in turn, alternating from one to the other with his hungry suckling and nipping. She felt her sheath grip Kyrnis’ fingers as the shocking delight seized her. Denar devastated her mouth, holding her trapped so she couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart beat wildly and when Kyrnis slipped his other hand up to slide along the warmth of her wet sex, she thought she would have to scream.  
Then, Kyrnis did something she knew he might, but which still caught her off-guard. He pulled her knees up and over his shoulders, raising her slightly off the bed. Those delightfully thick, long fingers pulled from her sheath, wet with her juices, and he slipped one of them back to press around the outside of her anus. She went utterly still at the new and surprising sensation as he circled, pressed, circled, and pressed against her rear entrance. Kyrnis’ growl told her this excited him as well.  
“How is she?” Denar asked, letting her mouth free.  
“So tight and so hot,” the Nobek said, almost reverently. “Just relax, beautiful Susannah. Allow me in. There will be pleasure.”  
Kyrnis pressed her again and she felt his fingertip slid into her. To her surprise, it felt very nice. Odd, but nice. Another new sensation.  
Tynevek moaned against her breast. His hardness pressed against her thigh and he took her flesh with greater ferocity, almost engulfing her in his mouth, his rough tongue rubbing with deliberate pressure against her hard and swollen nipple. She mewled and panted at the electricity zapping to her core.  
I love this, she thought, with delight and amazement. It was the most blissful thing she’d ever known. The three men were assaulting her senses in every way and she took it all in, greedy for the experience. She, who’d had so little contact with anyone for so long, especially with men of her age, was now drowning in contact, her senses almost overloaded with it.  
I’m going to have to store this up, she managed to think. After all, it was going to have to last her a very long time.  
Tynevek lifted his head. “Are you all right, Susannah? You do not hurt?”  
“No, it’s—ah!”  
The Nobek had inserted another finger into her back entrance and she gasped at the fullness and pressure he provided. This was less comfortable and she whimpered. But almost as soon as she did, she adjusted to the sensation and moaned at the pleasure. He chuckled and began again to stroke in and out, making a tormenting rhythm rise in her hips.  
“Hold still,” Denar said sharply. “You aren’t in control here.”  
She stilled and allowed the driving fingers to continue their motions. Tynevek kissed her belly, licking and letting his tongue swirl over her flesh. She contracted inward and giggled as he probed her navel. Denar and Kyrnis both growled at her to be still.  
Bossy, she thought. But she really didn’t mind. Just as long as they kept up this wonderful touching. She almost wailed when all three men suddenly left her body. Only Kyrnis’ fingers in her anus remained. Slowly, slowly, he added a third, wet finger into that spot, stretching her to the point of painful aching.  
Then suddenly, his head came down fast and he licked over the swollen, wet flesh between her legs. As he lapped at her, Tynevek’s fingers arrived to play with the small, soft thatch of curls just above, rubbing and tugging and caressing.  
“Oh my God,” she moaned.  
“There’s more,” Denar whispered, licking his way down her neck. “Wait and hold still, little one.”  
She was no longer melting, she was on fire. She was so sensitized, everywhere, that she thought she might burst into flame. Then, Kyrnis poured fuel on the fire.  
He took a broad fingertip and stroked upward. It came to rest on top of that little nub of her feminine flesh that was so sensitive, she almost couldn’t bear to touch it directly herself.  
She shrieked and bucked. The men held her down hard, as Kyrnis began to firmly, smoothly, caress her clitoris with expert precision. She whimpered as the little bud grew harder and he swirled her wetness all around it. He never once missed a beat with the fingers that were pumping in and out of her. She was desperate, she could feel herself gathering toward a climax far larger than any she’d ever given herself. Denar kissed her again, hard and sweet. Tynevek returned to taste her breasts with lusty attention. She was riding on their wills, carried by their actions, subject to their desires.  
It was wonderful.  
Groans and sighs rose from her lovers as they began to work as one being, plying her flesh, making her heart thunder and her breath pound in her ears. She was sure she couldn’t take anymore but no sooner had she had the thought, than Kyrnis’ hand twisted so that three of his fingers shoved hard into her gushingly wet sheath. His thumb covered her clitoris, pressing and tapping and rubbing. In a sudden shift, his fingers cupped inside her. Somehow, he’d found a bundle of nerves just there, at the front of her vaginal wall and when he rubbed it, she flew into shrieking madness.  
Her sex throbbed, her anus clutched, her heart tried to escape from her chest. Denar and Tynevek never halted their lavish attentions to her mouth and breasts. Kyrnis growled as he pumped at her. She gathered into a towering peak, then burst out, tumbling through a new sky of deep, achingly sweet pleasure, clenching over and over.  
At long last, she quieted. She was sure she had screamed, but she had been too deep in the throes of bliss to care. Now, Denar and Tynevek were cuddling around her, murmuring extravagant praises, making soothing sounds in her ears. Kyrnis slowed his touches, eased to a stop, and finally, gently extricated his hands to slowly stroke her hips and thighs, still rumbling and growling as he calmed her.  
“Oh, so lovely, Susannah.” Tynevek sighed, pulling her close to his chest. “You came so beautifully.”  
She was still out of breath and floating. Denar kissed her cheek and rubbed his head to her temple. “You were perfect, sweetness,” he said, his voice husky.  
“You liked it?” Kyrnis asked. His clanmates hooted at his blunt need for praise.  
Susannah managed a dazed nod and a smile. “It was amazing. You were all amazing.”  
# They petted her for a little bit longer, then Denar rose and went to take Kyrnis’ place between her thighs. He looked at her sex and she felt self-conscious to see him examining her with such intent focus. When Kyrnis had looked at her she had been distracted. Now Denar’s raptor-like gaze had her complete, wary attention.  
“You are a lovely deep pink and swollen and so, so wet, little scholar. I can’t wait to have you.”  
He knelt and spread her thighs, running his hands up and down her legs, making her feel relaxed and wonderful. He nodded to his Imdiko.  
Tynevek lifted up to look into her face. “You know this may hurt, your first time, yes?” His eyes were anxious but bright. “I am going to bite you, my little one, but don’t be frightened.”  
“It’s an intoxicant. In your fangs.”  
Kyrnis laughed. “Our scholar gets it in one!”  
“Yes. It will make the pain less and you will enjoy it much more. Denar?”  
“Now, please,” his Dramok moaned. “You have no idea how I ache.”  
“Oh, yes, I do,” Tynevek said fervently  
His head darted down so quickly Susannah saw only a blur. She felt a sharp, intense pain in her neck and she yelled. Why had he hurt her? Tears came to her eyes as she saw Tynevek’s dark head at her throat.  
Then, almost in the next breath, all the pain dissipated. Susannah felt a soft, warm sensation filling all of her veins. She seemed to float up as the Imdiko removed his fangs and sucked and licked at the little marks where he’d bitten her.  
Kyrnis kissed her, meltingly. How did such a huge man manage to touch her in such gentle, delicious ways?  
“Better now, yes, precious girl?” he said against the top of her head.  
“Lovely,” she purred.  
“Then attend me, Susannah.” Denar’s voice was tight and yet still commanding. “I’m going to enter you now.”  
She looked to where the handsome clan leader rose up, his twin penises gleaming with their natural moisture. Even in the soft light of the room, they looked as hard as iron, the larger one almost parallel to his flat stomach, the smaller one curving up below it. She gulped at the sight of so much flesh, thick and demanding. Tynevek wrapped his arms around her middle as Kyrnis cradled her shoulders. Denar was going to be her first. She was still a bit afraid of him, but she also felt his strength, his need to lead the way. She’d also tasted his kisses and heard his voice praising and admiring her.  
Yes, it was right that Denar be her first. She looked up at him and smiled.  
Denar gave a deep growl. He slipped his hands beneath her buttocks and lifted her hips, angling her so she was in line with his fierce sexes. Slowly, steadily, he pressed at her entrance and she felt a miserable, tearing pain as he pierced her hymen. She shouted and tears began to slip down her cheeks.  
“It’s over now.” Denar’s tone was both gentle and firm. “I have you. I have you.” He pressed against both of her openings and she cried a little more. “It’s all right, Susannah. The pain is past. Only pleasure now.”  
Tynevek caressed her breasts. “Relax, lovely one. You’ll adjust.”  
Kyrnis kissed her tears, then took her mouth, swift and hard. She forgot some of the pain as he robbed her of breath. His voice rumbled in her ear. “You will have pleasure, little one, we promise.”  
She nodded and felt herself float as more of the intoxicant pulsed into her system. Tynevek lapped at her breasts and she focused on that delight. She lifted a hand to stroke his hair but found she was so softened by the drugged bite that she couldn’t hold her hand up long enough to reach him.  
Denar recaptured her attention when he began to enter her, pressing his larger organ to stretch her tender vaginal walls, directing the smaller one to push into her tighter rear opening, making her ache still more. On and on he went, inch by careful inch, stilling from time to time, allowing her to adjust to his great size and the newness of the sensations he brought her, yet never retreating. His eyes watched hers, sharp and focused. She realized he was watching her for the slightest bit of discomfort or fear in her face. He was controlling but he was a careful lover.  
It still hurt, but not as much as his first thrust. She panted. The Nobek and Imdiko stroked her everywhere, lapped at her flesh, nipped and rubbed and suckled, made sweet, soothing noises in her ears. She began to hum inside herself, feeling the intoxicant, no doubt, softening her still more and allowing her to take in the pure delight of all the sensations that were overwhelming her body.  
When Denar was finally seated all the way inside her, his eyes closed, he tilted his head back and howled, actually howled! She grinned as the sound reverberated around the room. He was not so in control as he seemed, after all. It made her feel like she was not so helpless in this business of surrendering. After all, it was her body causing the carefully controlled Dramok to erupt in such a purely sensual, animal way. She felt a moment of triumph and then affection for the big man who was mastering her body so exquisitely.  
The ache within her lessened and pleasure began to sweep through her in ever more powerful waves. Denar pumped slowly in and out of her, his slick sexes imparting just enough friction to excite while still moving smoothly. His purple eyes had deepened to near-black as he watched her and she shivered at the almost cruel intent in his extraordinary face. She knew he didn’t care if she ached right now, didn’t care if she was panting with increasing need. His whole being was focused on taking joy in dominating her even as he worked her toward her climax. It was a new, confusing and yet wonderful experience.  
Kyrnis now took over loving her breasts while Tynevek moved to lavish deep, sweet kisses on her mouth. She cried out at how deeply Kyrnis drew her flesh into his mouth and how hard he suckled her. One of his hands stroked down her belly and his fingers tangled in her damp curls. She caught her breath as one finger found that tiny center of sensation and began to rub and pinch. It was almost too much. She wasn’t sure she could stand much more of this wild delight. Tynevek suckled her tongue, and she almost sobbed with the storm of feelings the three men brought to her untried body. Her eyes drifted closed. This was far more than she ever could have dreamed. Her thoughts began to narrow to the growing need at her center. She was going to climax again and she was eager to feel it. She was breathing raggedly, moaning in quick bursts.  
“Look at me, Susannah.” Denar’s voice cut into her dreamy thoughts.  
She looked up at his dark face. He was so magnificent, so demanding.  
“Pay attention.”  
How could she do that when everything felt so new and wonderful in so many ways. Still, she worked to obey.  
Kyrnis and Tynevek held her more firmly, but they ceased their caressing and kissing. Denar pumped harder. She held herself as still as she could, trying to still her needs even as she sobbed with the effort. She thought of rebelling and just giving in to her body’s need for release, but she was in the thrall of this experience, in the thrall of her lovers and their mastery of her. She had asked them to show her, to lead her, and she wanted to know the full measure of what they had to teach her. She panted, keeping her eyes on Denar’s powerful labors as he rose and fell over her.  
But the climax that was building grew more demanding every second. Despite the softness of the bite, her need was acute, roiling and building.  
Denar looked as if he was in great pain himself. He angled his hips up and slammed against her. His cock rubbed hard against the front wall of her sheath as he ground into her. She moaned and begged, incoherent, the feeling of him hitting that tight bundle of nerves, stimulating her beyond all reason. She felt her climax coming like an oncoming flood, enormous and powerful. She couldn’t hold off much longer, no matter how much she wanted to prolong this act.  
Finally, Denar spoke, his voice strained. “Now, Susannah. Come hard, sweetness.”  
She had no trouble obeying now. She arched, bowing up off the bed, screaming as her release took her, then convulsed inward. It barely registered when Denar shoved himself into her, deep, and she felt his seed spurting into her in hot spasms. His other organ pulsed in her backside as his roaring orgasm shook them both. Kyrnis and Tynevek held her close, kissing and stroking her. The feeling of climaxing with rock hard organs in her soft depths was pure, unadulterated ecstasy, beyond her wildest imaginings. She was lost in sensation, as if she was being dragged through the ocean depths and then cast up, helpless, into the open sky, unaware of anything else.  
At long last, she stopped pulsing and began to soften. Her heart still pounded, but she could breathe again. Tynevek and Kyrnis hugged her close as Denar sagged over her, his own breath coming in deep, almost painful-sounding exhalations. She could hardly move. She could only lie beneath the bodies of her three lovers, sapped of all strength, devastated by her experience. 

#  
Denar carefully lifted away from her and placed soft kisses on her thighs before falling to one side, moaning. Susannah gasped softly. “Is…is he all right?”  
The other two rumbled with laughter.  
“He’s better than all right,” Kyrnis said. “You gave him unbelievable pleasure.”  
“I did? But I thought he—you—were the ones pleasing me.”  
Tynevek’s eyes were soft as he stroked her cheek. “That is what lovemaking is, sweet one. Mutual pleasure. The way you allowed us to take over and the way you responded to our touch was more than we had dreamed. It is extremely exciting to us.”  
Kyrnis’ voice was full of amusement. “But I think you may have killed our Dramok.”  
Denar moaned. “I think so, too.”  
She felt as if she was suspended on a cloud. Her eyes drifted closed. Her lower body was still loose and deliciously sated. She was almost dozing when she felt herself being flipped over onto her stomach. Hard, warm hands massaged her body, soothing and pressing her muscles perfectly. She couldn’t move, could only accept their attentions. Murmurs of approval came from the men. Very soon the touching became kissing and she felt soft lips covering her in pulsing sweetness, everywhere on her body. The kissing became licking and then soft sucking and gentle little bites. Her body began tightening and heating under the delicate assault.  
Someone parted her thighs and thick finger stroked there. A deep, shuddering sigh gusted through her. A dark chuckle answered her.  
“Pretty like rose flowers. And slick. You make so much honey, Susannah.” Kyrnis’ voice was warm and husky. “It will feel wonderful to have you, lovely one.”  
Hands lifted her up on all fours. A thick pillow was pushed under her belly and she was lowered again, her ass raised up in the air, her weight braced on her forearms, breasts to the mat. A huge, hot body pressed against her backside, its heavy sexes rubbing up and down her cleft. When they probed and found her openings with unerring skill, she was glad the euphoria of Tynevek’s bite was still at work. The Nobek’s flesh was hugely thick; not as long, but thicker than Denar’s. He penetrated her gently but she couldn’t help but whimper and tighten with the deep ache he brought her in both places. She tried to wriggle away but Kyrnis snarled, a startling sound coming from the usually friendly alien.  
“Open up and take me.” His words were crisp and clear, deep with authority. “Relax and let me in, Susannah, because I won’t back off.”  
She shivered at the stern tone of the Nobek’s voice. He was a warrior in truth, asserting his power over her. I should hate this, she thought. She should want to follow her own impulses. But there was just something seductive about letting go of her need to keep things under her control. Something that felt right. What could it hurt if she relaxed and allowed someone else to have command? She’d been in command of so much for so long.  
She felt Kyrnis’ hands on her hips, slowly pulling her back onto his steely erections. He was still so enormous, invading her, stretching her. She drew a deep breath and let it out, drew another and let it out, willing her assaulted passages to ease and accept him.  
“Ah, yes. Just like that,” the big man crooned, pressing in still more.  
She kept breathing and waiting for him to finally be seated within her. The ache she felt was acute but she also felt herself waiting with excitement to see what would come next.  
Denar slid in close beside her. “Here, sweetness. Let me have your beautiful breasts.”  
He lifted up her torso so she was braced on her hands and slid beneath her. His hands and mouth set to work with lusty skill, kneading and cupping, lapping and sucking. Some of her attention was pulled from the stress she felt lower down as he attended to her soft flesh. She breathed again and felt some relief.  
Kyrnis’ groin met her buttocks and she felt his heated strength against her. He heaved a great, shuddering sigh. “By the ancients, so warm and tight. Sweet girl, you feel like heaven.”  
She held still, trying not to allow her discomfort to overcome her. Kyrnis had so far been her friend and protector. She wanted to let him enjoy her in his own way and learn from it. She knew, somehow, that the big warrior would not truly harm her. It felt so good to give to him.  
He leaned over her and began to run his big hands over her back. He laid their warmth on her spine and lower back and Susannah felt their heat sink in, relaxing and soothing her further.  
Denar feasted on her breasts. Tynevek stroked her hair and murmured words that alternated between the comforting and the explicitly erotic. Electric waves shimmered up and down her body.  
Slowly, Kyrnis withdrew until just the tips of his sexes remained inside her. She breathed a sigh of relief, then panted as he pressed back into her. His groan of pleasure was almost a snarl. He began to move on her and to her surprise, the ache began to ease. She relaxed still more and Kyrnis groaned again. She smiled. She liked making the dark, dangerous giant respond so helplessly. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the sensation of such fullness and power. Power that somehow came to her just from simple surrender.  
Denar nipped hard at her breast and she jolted. His chuckle was wicked. “Pay attention. You asked for this, remember?”  
She wanted to swat him but settled for a wriggle that set her breasts swaying and her hips circling against the Nobek’s groin. Both men snarled and attacked her with renewed energy. Tynevek leaned over and sank his teeth into the nape of her neck, holding her in place. She felt like a deer caught by a pack of lions, all of them ready to consume her. She shivered in fear, but she liked it.  
Kyrnis seemed to sense her emotions. He began to shove into her with abandon. She cried out against the renewed ache but that soon turned to excitement and then further, to pleasure. Her sex gushed moisture and she mewled as Denar pulled and shaped her and carefully bit at her nipples. She felt Tynevek lift away from her neck, only to gather her hair into his hand and use it to pull her head back for a bruising kiss, his tongue thrusting deep, then pulsing in and out, a counterpoint to the cocks pounding into her below.  
The tension was almost unbearable now. Her fists were clenched as the three men drove her wild with their fierce, animal pleasuring. Kyrnis rutted hard against her and at last a cry was wrung from him. “Come with me, Susannah!”  
He gave her one, two, three hard thrusts and they toppled off the great mountain of frantic sexual excitement they’d built. His bellowing roars rang around the room, echoing off the rock, mingling with her higher screams and sobs. It was a long while before they reached the earth again and neither one of them could move for many more long minutes.  
At last, Kyrnis patted and stroked her bottom, kissed his way down her spine, then lifted himself away. He gathered her up so her back was to his chest and heaved a great sigh. He cuddled her close, murmuring in her ear, “Such joy, little one. Thank you.”

#  
The pillow was pushed aside and Kyrnis gently laid her down on the mat, turning her onto her back. The three men snuggled their warm bodies against her, again murmuring loving words and praises. She was so very tired. She drifted off. She woke again quickly as the soreness of her body began to fight against the fading intoxicant and the deep pleasure of their acts.  
“I’m sorry, sweet. I know you’re tired.” Tynevek kissed her neck. “But I am in too great a need to let you sleep just yet.”  
This time, Denar’s head darted down, fangs flashing as he bit her just above the nipple of one breast. She cried out at the sharp hurt, then sighed, exulting as the Kalquorian’s injection hummed throughout her body and the Dramok suckled sweetly on her breast.  
Tynevek sat up and leaned back against the thick roll of carpet at the edge of the sleeping mat. The others helped Susannah to her knees, then guided her onto the Imdiko’s lap, her knees on either side of his hips. Kyrnis’ big hands slipped beneath her bottom, spreading her wide, holding her up as Tynevek positioned himself to enter her from below. Tynevek took her slowly, gently, onto himself, his mouth on hers in a warm, deep kiss. She had been right, she thought in delight; his kisses were meltingly good. She sank down, down, sighing at the careful way he guided her over his steel-hard sexes.  
When her bottom met his hips, he pulled her close, just rocking her in his arms, stroking her hair and murmuring. “Sweet. Hot. Tight.” His voice went softer still, for her ears only. “I’ve never felt anything so wonderful as you, darling girl.”  
She thrilled at his praise. She rubbed her cheek to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. If Denar’s lovemaking had been exciting, and Kyrnis’ had been wild, Tynevek’s was the most tender. His kisses were long and sweeping, his movements just strong enough to stir and arouse, but not punish her over-sensitive flesh. He let her move on him and touch him, and she reveled in her first chance to explore one of their bodies.  
His hair was tousled and yet silky, his cheek slightly rough with stubble. His powerful neck and shoulders seemed stronger than the trunk of a tree she’d once seen on a trip aboveground as a child. She pulled back a little and ran her hands over his chest. It was rippled and his skin stretched taut and smooth over its expanse. He was built along leaner lines than his clanmates but he was all muscle. Her hands stroked downward, over his abdomen and he hissed as she brushed the spot that was so very close to where they were joined.  
He took hold of her waist and effortlessly lifted her. She followed his gaze to where his larger cock emerged, glistening, from her sheath. The sight made her clench and gush honey over him, and he smiled at the fresh moisture that covered them both.  
“Oh, lovely one.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “How well you show me your pleasure.”  
Elated, she pushed down over him, reaching the bottom, only to have him lift her again. She shoved over and down, feeling him scrape against the front of her vagina, grinding her clitoris hard against his groin. He lifted her again, murmuring in his native language. She rode him slowly, tormenting them both. Her inexperienced movements were jerky but he didn’t seem to mind. His hands moved from her waist to her buttocks and he began to pull her in, raking her over his hard flesh as she rose and fell.  
Strong hands took her shoulders and pulled, gently bending her backward so she lay against Tynevek’s raised knees. The others moved in as one and began to love her breasts. She let her head fall back, dizzy with sensation and the intoxicant flowing through her being. Wonderingly, she cupped her hands to the backs of their heads as Tynevek continued to thrust lightly into her. She gloried in the feeling that she was being worshiped and treasured by these three, that she was the center of their world for this fleeting time. It was a heady sort of power even as she submitted to their attentions.  
Before too long, Tynevek moaned and rasped, “I need her close now.”  
His clanmates moved aside and he gathered her to his chest once more. His hips began to buck against her as he crushed her breasts to him. “Such a sweet Matara.”  
She began to whimper and writhe against him.  
“Here, pet, let me.” He slipped his hand between them and with surety found her hot, swollen little nub riding up and down his cock. “Here,” he crooned against her neck. He rubbed at her, her wetness making his finger slick and wonderful.  
She gasped at the rhythm of his touches and the music of his very explicit, whispered words. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. He ground up into her while pressing her head to his shoulder. His hand worked her harder. She was sobbing and sighing. Her breath hitched as the huge feeling of impending climax built in her center. He was still gentle and yet she felt close to bursting with excitement and need.  
Soon, he spoke. “All right, beautiful Susannah. No more waiting. I’m going to bring you now.”  
He pressed hard on her, bucked up sharply, and she wailed her release. The waves that swept through her body were so intensely sweet that tears came to her eyes. He strained upward, shouting, and let loose a seemingly endless stream of seed into her depths. His climax seemed to go on far longer than the others’. He continued to shove against her until the very last throb faded away and he collapsed back, taking her with him to rest her head on his chest.  
The other men slipped in, rubbing her back and pressing kisses to her body.  
“Sleep now,” was Denar’s last, and rather unnecessary command before she slipped into oblivion.


	6. Chapter Six

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Six

 

“Our little playmate’s slow waking this morning.” Kyrnis joined his clanmates at the table for first meal. His broad face was almost beaming.  
“I gave her a pain-inhibitor and a dose of nutrients while she slept.” Tynevek brought him a steaming mug of chai. “We worked her hard last night and she needs both the rest and the energy.”  
Denar stared into space. The deep pleasure of taking Susannah to bed had eased the tensions he’d been holding in for he didn’t know how long. Damn, he felt like a new man.   
“I thought I was dreaming when she appeared in our room last night, completely naked.” Kyrnis sipped his drink, then grinned. “What a glorious sight.”  
Tynevek nodded, his expression almost reverent. “The body of a fertility goddess. I can’t remember the last time I came that hard or that long.”  
“Better than any female I’ve ever had.” Kyrnis looked over at their Dramok. “And you, Denar? Was the little scholar fine?”  
Denar blinked. “Hmm?”  
The other men guffawed and Kyrnis punched Denar’s arm. “I asked you, was our pretty playmate fine for you last night, as well?”  
A corner of his mouth quirked up. “Fine? That’s a pale word to describe her.”  
“Luscious?” offered Tynevek.  
“Delectable?” Kyrnis asked.  
“Torrid?”  
“Ambrosial?”  
Denar’s smile spread. “Yes to all of the above. And then some.”  
“You’re all right that we bedded an Earther rescue subject?” Tynevek dished out bowls of hot cereal for each of them.   
Denar raised his hands. “She came to us. We certainly didn’t force her. She made it clear she wanted us.”  
“I’ll say.” It was Kyrnis’ turn to get a faraway look. “You told me Earther females were special, Denar. I thought you were just bragging. But she was like no one I’ve ever had before. So soft and warm and willing. So tight and wet. Suns, but my cocks were—”  
“Stop!” Tynevek raised a hand. “No more reviews of Susannah as a lover or we’ll be at her again in seconds. We have work to do today and she needs to recover.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “And how can you say she’s the best you’ve ever had, my Nobek?” He pretended to pout. “You’ve had me, you know.”  
Denar snorted. Kyrnis grinned. “That I have, my Imdiko. But I’d hardly call you soft, even when you’re willing.”  
“Ah, he has you there, my wild flyer.” Denar smiled at his Imdiko, who was not only a gymnast but an aerialist as well.  
Tynevek just laughed. “I’m cut to the quick.”   
Denar settled in to work, glad his clan had been freed at last to let their desires rage to completion with the beautiful, welcoming woman who’d been tempting them for days. For now, at least, they could be at peace.  
He watched his clanmates moving about, preparing the morning meal. It had felt good to share a woman again after all this time. They hadn’t all taken Susannah physically at once; he’d been sure she wasn’t yet ready for that experience. Still, it had been deeply satisfying to have his Imdiko and his Nobek with him as they enjoyed the delights of Susannah. It felt right.   
He couldn’t help wondering, though, if they had crossed a line by giving in to her innocent demand to have sex with them. It was her first time, after all. Would this make it more difficult to get her out of this place when the time came? Or would she take their sexual encounter as a declaration of love and believe they were taking her to be their Matara?  
He frowned into his cup. He didn’t want to think about that now. He just wanted to feel the bone-deep satisfaction of good sex and the anticipation of more such encounters. Soon.   
Any time now, they would make contact with the outside. Their unit would arrive and they would escort Susannah up to the rescue center and leave her in the capable hands of the team that processed new refugees. Then his clan would either be off another mission or they would finally get their orders to return to Kalquor. They would say goodbye to Susannah Talcott and get on with their lives.   
He accepted a plate of food from Tynevek, who wore a bemused smile on his gentle face. Kyrnis was humming like a big bee as he sliced bread. No, he didn’t want to think about goodbyes or the future. He would stay in the present and work to make the storehouse as safe as possible for now. The only future he would consider was how long they could stand to wait before they took luscious Susannah back to bed. He was honored to have been her first and he didn’t take that lightly, but there was so much more he wanted to teach her. His body was already warming at the thought.   
He heard a snicker and looked up. Tynevek was grinning at him from across the kitchen. He glowered, then noticed his Imdiko’s own aroused state. Kyrnis had his back to them, but he too shifted as he stood, as if needing to adjust himself. He caught a whiff of arousal.   
Denar groaned. “All right, my clan. Let’s get control of ourselves. As Tynevek said, Susannah is probably both tired and sore today. We can wait, for her sake.”  
Kyrnis stared up at the ceiling. “I can. But I’ll be spending time in the gym today. Lifting weights. Lots of weights.”  
Tynevek patted his shoulder. “I’ll be running the track above you, my Nobek.”   
Denar rolled his eyes. But as he dug into his food, he thought he might be running up and down the central stairs, top to bottom and back, several times today.   
#  
Susannah woke in her own bed, in her own room. She blinked at the ceiling. Had it all been a dream? She sat up and lifted the blankets. “Oh.”   
She was naked. She moved, and felt sore and achy in some very intimate places. There was a lingering scent of cinnamon and musk on her skin.  
It had not been a dream. She had had sex for the first time last night. With three men.   
She flopped back and stared at the ceiling again. It had been wonderful, and scary, and bewildering. The clanmates had overrun her with sensations and emotions and she had gone under early on, almost drowning in the experience. Now that she was awake and alone, she smiled. It had been a most satisfactory event. She would spend some time processing it and storing it up in her memory, then she could get on with her life, knowing what it meant to share her body with another person. Or persons. She was grateful the clan had been willing. Now she knew what it was like to have sex with a man. She shook her head in wonder; what it was like to have sex with three men! She had never fantasized about that.  
She got up, stretching and yawning. She wrapped herself in her robe and went to the showers. Oh, yes, she was definitely sore this morning, she thought as she washed. So many parts of her body had received the clan’s eager attentions last night. Did the soreness change over time?   
Not that it mattered. She wasn’t going to have sex again. That wasn’t part of the plan for her, or for the men. But she would treasure the memory of her one amazing night.  
They’d been so gentle with her, especially at first. Yet, gentle as they were, their kisses had inflamed her, making her eager for more. And more. Their big bodies had been hard and so very warm and when she was allowed to touch and explore, they’d proven to be every bit as fascinating as she’d imagined. Even their scent, their natural lubrication, their dual cocks, had been fascinating and delightful. She had taken them into her own body and they had shown her so much pleasure. What was equally amazing was the feeling that the three men had been well-pleasured, too. Had she really been a good partner for them?  
She smiled as she finished her shower and stepped into the drying unit. Sex had lived up to its reputation and she would treasure the memory all her life.   
The kitchen was empty when she came up to the living areas on Level Two. She went to the counter and took down a mug for tea. She gasped as a hand took the cup from her. Another hand took her arm and guided her to the table. How had they gotten in here so fast?   
“Good morning, Susannah.” Denar held out a seat for her and she sat down. He sat next to her and pulled her chair so it was close to his. He gave her a quick kiss, then showed her his tablet.   
“I thought we’d work from Level Four, today.” He called up a three-dimensional model of the storehouse. He must have created it from the old designs she and Kyrnis had found. It shimmered in the air and rotated slowly in front of them. “If we go into the air filtration system here at the far wall, we can access both Levels Three and Five at the same time. Then we can fix that one crack we found running vertically between floors.”  
Kyrnis leaned over the table and kissed her forehead. “Good morning, little one.” He set her tea in front of her and took the seat across from her.   
“You look beautiful this morning, Matara. Here.” Tynevek sat down on her other side. “I found a container of dried berries in the pantry. I thought you’d enjoy them with some cereal.”  
He held up a morsel of grains and berries between his thumb and finger. She stared, puzzled.   
Tynevek grinned. “Open up.”   
She opened her mouth and he popped the food inside. The other two didn’t bat an eyelash.  
“Uhm, I can feed myself.”   
“We know.” Denar took the bowl of sliced apples that Kyrnis handed him. He held a piece up to her lips.  
She took the bite, then raised her hands as Tynevek offered her another morsel. “Wait, wait! Why are you doing this?” She had to speak around the bite of apple. She was hungry after last night’s exertions.  
Tynevek kissed her cheek. “Because we had such a wonderful time last night.”  
She froze, then swallowed. “Are you...are you paying me?”  
Tynevek looked horrified. “No, Susannah! You didn’t come to us as a whore. We know that.”  
Kyrnis leaned toward her. “We don’t pay whores with food. We pay them with money.”   
Tynevek sighed. “I’m not sure you’re helping, my Nobek.”  
“You said you wanted us to be your clan while we were here.” Denar gave the bowl to Kyrnis. “This is how we feed the woman who clans with us.”  
“It’s a gesture of respect.” Kyrnis offered her a bit of apple.   
She took the bite but shook her head. “You don’t have to do this. The whole clan idea. I just wanted to convince you that I really wanted to go to bed with you. I’m very grateful and now we can go back to the way we were. We don’t have to do it again.”  
Denar shut down the model and turned to her. “What are you saying? You were lying to us last night?” His tone was sharp.  
“No, not exactly. I just wanted you to treat me like a woman you would normally take to bed. It was just for the one night. We don’t have to go on pretending from now on.” She smiled at them all. “You don’t have to worry that I expect you to be my boyfriends or anything like that. I know you have to leave and go off on your own again soon.”  
“Susannah, did you think we were doing you a favor?” Tynevek’s brow was drawn.   
“Well, yes. I came to you and asked you and you agreed. You were very nice about it.”  
“Great suns.” Kyrnis sank his head into his hands. “Denar?”  
Denar swept an arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. He stroked back her hair and looked at her quizzically. “Did you think we didn’t want you, Curator?”  
She felt warm and safe on Denar’s lap. His broad chest, his hard thighs underneath her bottom made her struggle not to wiggle in closer to him. She needed to keep control of this situation. “I think you wanted to have sex. I think you like sex.”   
Tynevek snorted. “We do. There’s no denying that. But if we like sex so much, why didn’t we make love with you before this? We could have had you any time if we’d wanted.”  
She shrugged. “I figured you weren’t that interested in me. I’m just an Earther and you knew I was inexperienced. I didn’t know how to seduce you or anything, so I just came right out and asked.”  
“Just an Earther?” Kyrnis sounded amazed and a little angry.   
“Yes. I’m not a tall, beautiful Kalquorian woman. Or one of those pretty Plasians with the golden tongues. I’m just...me.”  
Denar set her back onto her chair and scooted around until he faced her. He took both of her hands in his. He regarded her sternly.  
“Let me tell you why we didn’t touch you, Susannah. We didn’t touch you because it’s forbidden. We are forbidden by the law of the Galactic Council to interfere with Earther women in any way other than to get them to safety. It had nothing to do with how desirable you are. Or how experienced.”   
Tynevek spoke from behind her. “Many of the women we’ve found here are traumatized and very confused. Our Empress, who is an Earther Matara, was influential in getting these rules set into place because some Kalquorians, in their desperation to reproduce, had been forcing women to come with them and breed with them. We understand that many Earther Mataras have been brought up hating and fearing sex. It was very hard, even terrifying for some of them.”  
Susannah tilted her head, brows raised. “I’m not like those women. I was never part of aboveground society.”   
“We know,” Kyrnis put in, “but we have to follow the rules of our leaders.”  
“And we couldn’t know for certain that you weren’t upset or confused by us.” Tynevek touched her hair. “We didn’t want to risk harming you, sweet girl.”  
Oh, how she liked it when he called her that. It almost made her feel sweet.  
“We also knew you were a virgin,” Denar said firmly. “We like virgins but we don’t force them.”  
She raised her hands. “Then I don’t understand. Why did you agree to take me to bed last night?”   
Denar smiled and his stern face softened. “For one thing, we agreed because we’ve been observing you and living with you for days. We’re convinced that you are a normal, healthy young woman with a natural sexual appetite.”  
“We looked at your romance books.” Kyrnis’ grin was pure wickedness. “Very instructive.”  
She colored up. “I still don’t—”  
Denar broke in. “Second, we touched you, sweet one, because you asked us to. You invited us to make love with you. We took the risk and hoped that we would pleasure you enough that you would be happy we accepted the gift of your virginity.”  
“You were pleased, weren’t you?” Kyrnis looked anxious.   
She blinked. “I was. Very much. Very, very much.”  
His smile shone out. “I’m glad. You are my first Earther woman, little one! I wanted to show you that making love with us is a good thing.”  
“We were very, very pleased, too, Susannah.” Tynevek still stroked her hair. “And we were honored that you trusted us.”  
“But did you want me?”  
Denar was grinning now. “Did we want you? Sweetest, we’ve been aching for you since you tried to shoot us on your front doorstep.”  
Kyrnis grunted.“We had to use a pry bar to get Tynevek to let go of you last night.”  
Tynevek laughed. “And who insisted on cuddling her all the way back to her bed?” He touched her cheek. “Susannah, you are one of the most desirable, fascinating, lovely women we’ve ever met. We watched you walk around here, with your beautiful body and we wanted you. Then we got to know your amazing mind, and see your kind, brave heart and we wanted you even more. We’ve been half-crazy with wanting you in every way possible.”  
She gulped. Their eyes were suddenly very hot-looking.  
“When you finally asked us, we’d been fighting against our desire for you all this time. We couldn’t put up any more resistance. If you truly wanted us and you were happy with us, I felt we could trust that you wouldn’t turn us in to our superiors.” Denar looked cautious.  
She gasped. “I wouldn’t do that! I begged you to take me to bed!”  
“And so nicely, too.” Kyrnis gusted a sigh. “Very pretty and naked.”  
She stared at him, then began to smile. “You’re a sweetheart, Kyrnis.”  
He nodded solemnly. “I know.”  
Tynevek threw a spoon at his Nobek. “Stop. Your head’s too big already.”  
Denar drew Susannah’s attention back to him. “So, if you wanted us, and you enjoyed what we did, and you know we want you, why are you saying that we don’t have to do it again?”  
She shrugged. “Because I didn’t have sex with you so I could get you to make a commitment to me. I don’t even want a commitment. It’s simpler this way. I’ll stay on my own, now.”  
Tynevek’s arms came around her shoulders and he hugged her to him, chair and all. “You wouldn’t be so unkind.”  
Denar’s hands dropped hers and began to stroke along her thighs. She shivered and felt her heart race. “You didn’t think we’d let you go after just one taste of your sweetness, did you?” He looked like a hunting raptor once again.  
Kyrnis chuckled. “You have much to learn about Kalquorian men, little one. We have you now. You’ve said you want us. You had better be prepared to back up your words with actions.”  
“Wait! Wait!” she cried again. “Wait.”  
They looked at her, their purple eyes watchful and smoky with lust. She shivered but went on. “What does any of this have to do with trying to feed me like I’m an infant?”  
Tynevek leaned around her and popped a blueberry into her mouth before she could think. “It’s just as Kyrnis said, you have much to learn about us. We like and admire you and you have given us one of the best nights of our lives. You are our Matara for the time being. Now, just be still and eat,” he growled. “We do the feeding.”  
She looked around at them. All of them glowered at her, arms crossed over their huge chests. She opened her mouth. Denar smiled and fed her some apple.  
They wanted her! Her heart went racing again. There would be another night of sharing that indescribable excitement with them. There would be so much more she could learn. And, oh, God, how good they could make her feel.  
She would definitely trade being hand-fed like a child in exchange for that.  
#  
That day passed slowly, to Susannah’s mind, as they worked on the rad-leaks and she finished cataloging porcelain and tending the Bio-lab garden. She was still curious about the high radiation levels the men were revealing. Had those recent explosions been radioactive? She knew there were many places on Earth where radioactive waste had leached into the soil. Had something shaken the ground, releasing it? Kalquor was far ahead of Earth in many areas of science and technology; surely their instruments were accurate. She couldn’t think of any reason why they’d lie about rad-leaks, especially when it required them to work so hard to mend them. She’d need to do some study. When she knew more, she could ask Denar and the others about it.   
When she had finished in the garden, she was sweaty and grimy. The lighting above simulated late afternoon. She headed for the pool to cool off. She pulled on her swimsuit and rinsed off in the outside shower. She dove into the pool, feeling the relief of the water closing over her body. She stayed under, propelling herself for half the length of the big pool before she surfaced, shaking her hair back and wiping her face. The room lights dimmed then, and the lights in the pool came up, bathing the area in soft blue.   
“You look like a pretty fish in there, Susannah.” Kyrnis stood at the edge of the pool, naked and smiling. “May I join you?”  
She nodded, more than a little awed at the sight of the big Kalquorian in the light. She hadn’t seen very much the night before, when they were all over her in the darkened bedroom. Now she wondered how on earth she hadn’t been crushed under their bulk. Each of his thighs looked as wide as her waist and his chest rippled with muscle.  
And his sexes! They weren’t even aroused and they looked far too large to have ever fit inside her body. He bent and dove in, his entry clean and graceful. He didn’t come up for air until he was directly in front of her. She was treading water. He could stand upright with ease, not even out of breath.   
His eyes sparkled as he swam around her, eeling and turning. She grinned. It was like having a big, friendly whale circling her. Okay, a killer whale, but a friendly one, nonetheless. That seemed to sum up what she knew of the Nobek’s personality. She sensed the power and ferocity that often shimmered just below the surface but with her and his clanmates he seemed fully content to keep his warrior nature leashed.  
“You like to swim, Matara.” It was a statement, not a question. “I’ve watched you other times when you came here. It feels nice to have the water bear you up, yes?”  
“Yes.” She laid back in the water and floated. “It makes me feel less tethered to the earth. Almost like I’m flying. Gravity can get tiring.”  
He swam up behind her and placed his hands at her back. “Rest against me, little one. The water and I will take you flying.”  
She cautiously let herself relax and he did just what he said. He pulled her up over his chest and leaned back so she was stretched over him, her head just below his chin. Then, gently, easily, he began to kick, traveling around the pool with her resting on him. It was so peaceful and pleasant that she closed her eyes and let herself drift.   
“We have oceans on Kalquor. There’s one not far from where I was raised. I swam before I could walk. My mother was always having to come and pluck me out of the waves whenever I vanished. My fathers, of course, reddened my ass for scaring her and making her come get me.”  
“They were mean to you?”  
He chuckled, the rumbling in his chest vibrating pleasantly on her back. “No. They were very fair. I was forbidden to swim without an adult and I disobeyed. Besides, I was a clear Nobek and they knew that not to discipline me firmly would only lead to more willfulness as I tested my strength. I could have gotten into far more dangerous situations.”  
“How do you know if you’re a certain breed?” Idly, she trailed a hand in the water, cruising on her Nobek-boat.  
“Our parents watch. They offer different toys. They see what activities we’re drawn to and how we treat others. Nobek boys can be bullies, destructive monsters, if we’re not taught to restrain our impulse to fight and dominate. Imdikos tend to get along with others, although I’ve seen them fight to take care of another person. Dramoks are bossy, of course, as soon as they are born. I think they tell their mothers which breast is the most logical one to offer first.”  
She giggled at the image of a tiny Denar ordering his mother around. “I’ll bet their mamas love that.”  
“Denar’s mother had a strong Nobek streak. He probably got his wishes denied.” Kyrnis was quiet for a moment. “And your mother, lovely one? Was she sweet?”  
“I think so. She died when I was five. My memories of her are nice, but they’re not very clear.”  
His big arms hugged her gently. “I’m sorry, Susannah. My mother died when I was only thirty and it was a very sad time for me. I had no clan then and I was far from home. I hurt badly for a long time.”  
“I’m sorry for you, too.” She patted his beefy arm. “I think it must be harder to lose your mama when you’ve been with her a long time.”  
“Mataras are precious and their loss is always sad.”  
“What was it like to have three fathers?”  
“I don’t know anything else. I’d ask the same of you—what was it like to have only one? Was your father a Nobek, like me?”  
“No.” She laughed. “I doubt anyone’s a Nobek like you, Kyrnis. I think you’re an original.”  
He gave her a big kiss on the top of her head. “Thank you, sweet one. I think your father must have been a good man to raise such a smart and sweet daughter.”  
“I don’t know if I’m sweet. I’m pretty sure I’m smart, but sweet? I can be very stubborn. That’s what Papa used to say. But then, he was stubborn, too.”  
“You can be both sweet and stubborn. I don’t think you are stubborn to be mean or to hurt others.”  
“No. I just like to get my way when I want it.”  
“Like appearing naked in the bedroom of three desperately needy Kalquorians and demanding sex?”  
She grinned. “Maybe.”  
She felt a bump as he came up against the side of the pool. He pulled her in so she was sitting on his lap and he was seated on the bottom step leading out of the pool. His big hands rose to stroke over her breasts. The warm water lapped around her middle. She sighed and tipped her head back onto his shoulder. She could only marvel at how wonderful it felt to be held so near, to relax and share with someone else, even an alien.   
“You took us by storm, little scholar.” He played with her nipples, teasing and rubbing them. “You have far more power than you know.”  
“I didn’t—I didn’t do anything…” She shifted, desire suddenly kindling. “I just wanted to have sex. You did all the rest.”  
“I’m glad we pleased you. I want to have sex with you many more times.”   
He slipped off the straps of her swimsuit and pushed them down, uncovering her. She couldn’t help pushing her breasts up to fill his questing hands. It felt so natural to offer him her flesh. He rolled her nipples in his fingertips, pinched lightly, and she drew up sharply as the sensation streaked its way straight to her sex.  
“So responsive. You are a wonder.” His voice was a warm rumble of distant thunder.   
He turned her around to face him and kissed her long and lushly, his clever tongue sweeping into her mouth and twining with her own. She made a little sound of need as he cupped her bottom, pulling her against his rising cocks. They were hot and so gloriously hard against her female flesh.  
“Here. Stand up, sweetling.”  
He helped her up and stripped off her swimsuit. When he tossed it away, he positioned her legs wide apart on either side of his hips. She realized her sex was directly in line with his mouth. “Oh,” she gulped. “I think—”  
“No, don’t think, lovely one. Just feel.”  
His hands cupped her bottom again, his mouth moved forward, and she was lost. He nibbled and licked, laved and sucked. His fingers slid in from behind and stroked her labia, damp with her juices. She moaned and cried out, even tried to twist away when the sensations were just too intense. He held her firmly, and when she tried it again, he slapped her bottom, hard, to bring her in line. She startled. When she realized she wasn’t hurt and he continued his pleasuring, she obeyed and held still. Remarkable. Where had that come from?  
He guided her back and forth over his stiffened tongue, sending hot prickles of excitement up her spine. When his fingers found her sheath, he didn’t hesitate but plunged two of them, thick and hard, straight into her softness, making her clench and moan. He found her clit and began to gently lick it into fullness. She was panting soon, her fingers digging into the thick muscles of his shoulders. “Kyrnis, that’s so good,”   
He rumbled a laugh against her aching little sex and with wicked accuracy, slid another finger into her sheath, making her feel so full she could hardly move for fear of dislodging that great pleasure. He withdrew the finger, to her moaning distress, only to plunge its wetness deep into her smaller entrance. She bucked and mewled and he held her tighter, whipping her clit with his tongue, plunging his fingers in and out of her in both places.   
Climax was descending on her in short, hungry bites, and she was crying out in rhythm to his motions. She was going to go to pieces if he didn’t let her move.   
Just as she thought she was going to have to fight him for release, he shifted his hand so the finger in her pussy rubbed unerringly over that knot of nerve endings that felt like both torture and heaven. She groaned in an agony of sweet sensations, and he gave one last, long suck on her clit.   She went wild, scratching and heaving and shrieking her ecstasy, shoving herself shamelessly against his face and sobbing. He never let up and as soon as one climax had passed, he tossed her up high into another. Every muscle in her body gripped at him. She was dying in his hold, throbbing and throbbing until he relented and eased his assault. She panted as she finally relaxed and collapsed over him. He tugged her down and to her shock, she found herself perfectly impaled on his larger cock.   
He sank his fangs into her neck and she came again immediately, thrashing in the water, bucking and crying out his name. She dissolved in pleasure and went limp in his arms. He cleaned up the bite, kissed her and held her as she panted against his big, warm chest. When her heart rate began to return normal, she pressed small kisses on his chest. He lifted her chin and kissed her, something gentle that didn’t demand she rouse too far. When he drew back, she laid her head on his chest once more, enjoying the calm thunder of his heartbeat.  
“I think I made you happy, Matara?”  
“That’s an understatement.” She stroked his chest, sighed. “I’ve never felt anything like that.”  
“Good.” He sounded very pleased with himself. She looked up at him and grinned. Such a male.  
“Now,” he whispered, stroking her back, “it’s your turn.”  
She blinked. “My turn?”  
He lifted her off of him and came to his feet, folding her into his arms. He carried her to the lounger in the corner under the potted palm. He sat down with her and kissed her, hard and swift.   
“Now it’s your turn to use your mouth to pleasure me.” He parted his legs and guided her down so that she knelt between them on the cushion of the lounger.   
She looked down at his enormous cocks, glistening and erect against his beautiful, taut abdomen and she felt panic, despite the dreamy effects of his bite. “I—I can’t! They’re—you’re too—”  
“You can, Susannah. You liked what I did to you, didn’t you?”  
He rubbed a hand over the scratches on his shoulders and grinned. It wasn’t a particularly friendly grin, now. Had she really made those reddening marks? She was shocked at her violence. And excited that he seemed pleased she’d gone so crazy with him.  
“You are my Matara, yes? For now?”  
“Yes.”   
“Submitting to us sexually means learning what we like as well as teaching us what gives you pleasure. Do you trust me, Susannah?”  
She stared at his broad, almost savage-looking face, his massive shoulders. Perhaps a more prudent woman would run from such a beast but her curiosity and her feelings for the giant kept her in place.  
“I--I’ll try.”  
“Then, begin by touching my cocks. Place your hand on me. Stroke me.”   
She hesitated, searching his face. His brows drew down. “Begin, little one.”  
She caught his cinnamon scent rising over the scent of the pool water and her own musk. He had indeed made her feel wonderful. To refuse him now not only seemed ungrateful—though she didn’t really believe he expected gratitude—but it also seemed cowardly. She had asked to experience sex with Kyrnis and he was giving her that now. What he asked was a normal practice for Earthers, she knew. Or should be, except the Earther authorities viewed it as one of many sexual perversions deserving of horrible retribution, even within marriage.   
Well, she wasn’t going to back down because of stupid laws or because of her own trepidations. Bite or not, she wished to please this man and learn what this act was all about.  
She placed a hand on the huge stalk of his larger cock. Oh, he was warm. And velvety smooth. She carefully wrapped her fingers around him. She shivered. He was slightly slick and very, very hard. It was amazing. He seemed almost to grow within her grasp. She slid her hand up and down the length of him, marveling at his girth and heat.   
“Lick me, now.”  
She pulled back, slightly. Could she do that?   
She would. She needed to do this, share this.  
She bent her head and tentatively ran her tongue over the smooth bullet-shaped head of the cock in her hand. To her surprise and delight, he sighed in pleasure. More surprising was the taste of him on her tongue. He did indeed taste of spicy cinnamon, with a bit of salt and a faint tinge of something creamy.   
Oh, my heavens, she thought with a moan. He’s delicious!  
She lowered herself down so she lay against his thigh and took a firmer hold of him. She laid her tongue to the base of his cock and then licked him, in one, long stroke, right to the very the tip. She glanced up to see his reaction. His eyes were closed, as if wanted to center all his senses on what she was doing.  
“Perfect,” he murmured. “More.”  
Fascinated, delighted and aroused, she began to lick him all over, around, up, down, everywhere. He reached to wrap his hand over hers, sliding it to the base of his erection, squeezing firmly. She followed his direction and held him as she lapped at the tip. A drop of liquid shone out from it and she licked it up quickly, savoring the rich, exotic taste. He rumbled his approval.   
“Take hold of my smaller cock, Susannah. Hold me firmly. Yes. Oh, that is so good, sweet one.”  
She held both cocks now, and inspired, alternated licking one and then the other. His hand came down again after a bit and he guided her along the smaller member, so that she pumped its slick, velvety flesh up and down over its solid core.   
She took over on her own. “Is this right?”  
“Yess.”   
She smiled in triumph at his hiss. It was wonderful to know she was giving him such pleasure. She stroked his smaller cock, held tight to his larger one, and licked both in turn.   
“In your mouth now, sweetest.” His voice was tight. “The larger one.”  
She hesitated a moment, and he growled. It wasn’t just a warning sound or a demand. It also spoke of real need. She wanted to relieve that need. She opened her lips and took the tip into her mouth.   
“Deeper. Take me further.”  
She took a breath and opened her mouth wider. Gently, he pushed into her, filling her with as much of his flesh as she could take. Then, he waited quietly. Tentatively, she raised her tongue and licked it over the hard organ between her lips. She sighed as she felt his pulse against her tongue. She rubbed her tongue up against him, near the head. He groaned and she wriggled in delight, rubbing her thighs together to ease her own arousal.   
“You’re doing beautifully, little scholar. Now I want you to suck me.”  
She faltered and glanced up at him. His eyes were closed and he looked almost in pain. She felt that surge of triumph that she was capable of bringing him such strong responses. Happily, she pressed upward with her tongue, tightening her lips at the same time. His cock jerked in her mouth and she loosened her hold on him. He growled.  
“No. Everything, Susannah. Your hands. Your mouth. Both cocks.”  
She was clumsy at first, but she soon coordinated all the things he asked. Her reward was a deep sigh of satisfaction and then another, involuntary jerk of his heavy sexes.   
“Just like that. Oh, lovely Matara, keep going.”  
Her head slid up and down, his spicy scent filling her nose and his taste swirling in her mouth. Another of those savory-sweet drops fell from his tip and she sucked it eagerly, raising a choked snarl from her now panting lover. She worked him with hands and mouth and when his hand went to her head, pressing her further, faster, she did all she could to obey and adjust. She felt how damp she was between her legs, and she squirmed with her arousal.  
He gasped, suddenly. “I’m going to come soon. Hold me in your mouth, sweet girl. As far as you can. Swallow. Don’t let me go.” Both hands cupped her temples, holding her close to him.  
She wasn’t sure what to expect but she braced herself and suddenly, with a shout and an upward lunge, he was deep in her, all the way to the back of her throat. She breathed through her nose, opened her mouth and throat inside to resist gagging and felt the first burst of his heavy semen spurt into her mouth. She swallowed once, twice, then, wanting to taste him more fully, she slipped back the slightest bit so that his seed filled her mouth. It was as she thought it would be: thick and creamy and spicy-sweet. She swallowed as quickly as she could, losing count of his pulses as he groaned and jerked in her hands and mouth.   
When he was done, and the aftershocks had ended, his hands fell away and he lay back on the lounger, panting like a bellows. A moment later, he pulled her up to his chest and kissed her, long and tenderly.   
“Susannah, Susannah.” His breath was still coming fast. “Your mouth is heavenly. Thank you, lovely one.”   
He held her close and she heard the thumping of his heart as it slowed and steadied. Her own heart grew calmer, though she felt as if she had been running a race. Bliss from his bite was gentler now, making her aroused but not needy. She was very content just to have satisfied Kyrnis. So proud she could purr.  
She sighed. “Sex is nice.”   
He laughed heartily. “Oh, yes, it is. Especially with you, little scholar.”  
“Really?” She frowned up at him. “But you had to tell me everything to do. And I’m so clumsy.”  
“Everyone has a first time.” He caressed her damp hair. “I was honored to teach you. And you are nothing if not a bright student.”  
She put her head back down on his chest. “You taste very nice.”   
He stroked her back. “I’m glad you liked it. You taste very nice to me, too.”  
“We’re very compatible that way.”  
He chuckled. “Oh, and aren’t we the lucky ones?”  
Later that night, in bed with the three men, she was again taken with varying degrees of gentleness and roughness, domination and tenderness. She was startled to find that Tynevek could make her climax just by sucking her breasts. Denar laid her on her back over his chest and took her from behind with his smaller sex in her anus, then motioned to Tynevek to come over her and take her vagina with his larger sex. The crush was almost too much but she was so full and so deep in the euphoria of Tynevek’s bite, that she was able to obey when they insisted she come time after time. Kyrnis took her slowly and rhythmically while she was on all fours and she loved the long, drawn out waves of orgasm he brought her. Finally, she fell asleep in their midst, each clan member connected to her with a hand on her breast, her sex, or her bottom.   
In the morning, they roused her and tugged her into the shower with them, taking turns soaping her, and then taking turns rutting against her, quick and hard, before they all rinsed off and trooped upstairs to begin their day. Susannah was sore again, and achy, but she also felt pride in that pain. In some strange fashion, it made her feel very feminine. Desired. Knowing. At breakfast, they lavished her with attention, fed her the best bits of every food, and whisked the cleanup out from under her hands. She decided she could grow to like this sort of service.  
She also decided that, at the first opportunity, she would practice the new skill Kyrnis had taught her on the other two men. She hoped they would like it as much as Kyrnis seemed to. She wanted to be the one to bring them to helpless climax for a change.   
As she watched them go about their day, she tried to imagine what it would be like when the lessons came to an end. She decided that was far more painful than the ache of her well-satisfied body and she tucked away the notion.  
Still, she couldn’t help wondering how long they had. Kyrnis hadn’t contacted their outside team, not yet. Denar was beginning to make calculations about how they might clear a way out, from either Level One or Level Two. They all worked on mending and cleaning up after the explosions. She was falling behind in her regular work because she just couldn’t seem to make herself go off and work in her lab or some other collection, alone, when such interesting creatures were in her home.   
They shared stories of their home world and of their lives as members of that very male-dominated culture. She’d learned that each of them had suffered losses: Kyrnis and Denar had both lost their mothers and as a young teen, Tynevek had lost all three of his fathers to an accident that had wiped out their family business, leaving him and his mother to cope alone. Denar had spoken with pride of his Imdiko, already a brilliant surgeon with a bright future ahead, and of his Nobek, who was a specialist in security surveillance, but who was developing communications technology that would greatly enhance Kalquor’s links with the nearby world of Joshada. Denar himself was not planning to be a pilot forever but was looking to find a place in Kalquorian politics, maybe even serve on the Galactic Council. They were young, for Kalquorians, anyway, but they ambitious, hard-working, and very smart.  
Another reason why she was falling behind was because when she stayed around, one of them might lay down his tools, walk over to her and grab her hair, bending her over his arm for a punishing kiss that left her gasping and hot. Once or twice, the kiss had exploded into passion and she found herself being lifted against a wall, or tossed onto a bed, or bent over a chair for a wild, fast, growling fuck that left her wilted like a flower but oh, so sated. One time, the other two had come to help their clanmate take her, the three of them driving her mad with their wicked skills. Afterward, they never failed to praise her to the skies, to pet her and cuddle her, and she grew in boldness and confidence under their tutelage.  
Oh, she was learning, all right. Her men were excellent, if demanding, teachers, and she their wide-eyed, eager pupil. No, she wasn’t going to think about them leaving.


	7. Chapter Seven

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Seven

 

The next evening, after dinner and a swim, the clan settled a pile of rugs and cushions on the floor of the rec room and tugged Susanna down to lie with them. They arranged themselves like a wheel, with their bodies as spokes and their heads together as the hub. The lights dimmed out at Denar’s command and slowly, one by one, stars began to appear over their heads, seeming almost to float below the ceiling. It was a vid, Susannah knew, but it was still breathtaking. At the edges of the image, bits of treetops waved gently, making her feel she was lying in a great meadow, staring up at the real sky overhead. It was something she had done once when she was a child and she treasured the memory.  
“Oh, this is beautiful.” She squeezed Denar’s hand, never taking her eyes off the star-show going on overhead. “These aren’t Earth constellations.”  
“They’re the ones we see in the winter time over our home on Kalquor.” Denar’s deep voice held a surprisingly tender note.  
“They’re wonderful. Tell me some of the names.”  
He pointed to the left, where a line of three reddish stars bent into two branches. “That’s Lakt, named for the ancient goddess, Lah-ket.”  
“Lakt.” Susannah stored away the name for her notes. For her memories.  
“The blue cluster down and to the right is simply the Boat.” Kyrnis drew a finger across the sky. “It is an important marker for sailors.”  
“Like our North Star or the Southern Cross.” She watched in wonder as the “sky” grew darker and more and more stars appeared. “Oh, my!”  
Denar lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “A meteor shower just for you, little scholar.”  
She could hardly speak. Was this what it was like above ground? Was it like this every night on far-off Kalquor? She could hardly breath as the silent sparkles streaked across the field of deep blue velvet and vanished almost at once. So fleeting. So lovely in their transience. Wonder, joy, and sadness. That was life, of course.  
“Thank you for showing me all this. Though it is sad to think that many of these stars are long gone. We can only see echoes of their brilliance.”  
“You are as lovely as any of these stars and more alive, of course.” Tynevek stroked her arm. “It’s good to share this with you, little one.” He kissed her temple.  
"Will you leave me a copy of this vid? For the Collection?"  
Denar stilled, then stroked his thumb over her hand. “Tell me, Curator, how did your Collection begin?”  
She paused. Why would they care? Still, she had never told anyone that story. Maybe it was time.  
“How long did your papa live here?” Kyrnis reached over his head to stroke her hair.  
“He lived here most of his life.” She drew a breath. Did she really have anything to lose by telling them this? It was all in the past now. Neither they nor the Earther authorities could harm any of the people she’d known and loved; they were all gone.  
“He moved here when he was fifteen. He was the first generation to go completely into hiding.”  
“Tell us how your Project came to be.” Denar worked the vid display so the revolving slowed. “It is a mighty undertaking.”  
She thought hard. They knew virtually everything else about the storehouse. They’d explored and poked into almost all its nooks and crannies. She’d trusted them so far and they had not yet done anything to betray that trust. She would trust them again.  
She began to outline the history of the Project for them, starting with her great-great grandfather, Anders Talcott, and the first painting he ever bought.  
Anders had been lost one night in the still-magical old city of New Orleans. He was just twenty and fresh for adventures. He’d been partying with friends and they got separated in the crowds in the French Quarter. He found himself stumbling about in an area full of old houses and strange churches. Even back then, many churches and beliefs were beginning to know harsh persecution by the rising Unified Church supporters. In the dim light of that coming dawn, Anders trailed past lush gardens and crumbling statuary until he came upon a woman opening the doors to her old-fashioned garage. She pulled out boxes and tables and on a whim, Anders had gone to help her. She smiled and directed him, so that by the time the city was just beginning to wake, they had set up a small gallery and several tables and boxes of the most unusual artworks he’d ever seen.  
The woman didn’t say much as they’d worked but when they’d finished, she waved a hand, sweeping across all those treasures. “Please. Look through these. If you see something you like, bring it to me.”  
Anders had been an exceptional student but his specialty was science and math. His exposure to art had been perfunctory, at best. Now, in this new place with this enigmatic older woman, he took the chance to explore. He moved around the tables and bins and lifted up work after work, studying them carefully. By the time the first customer strolled up the brick drive, he had selected three paintings that had intrigued him. He carried them to where the woman sat on a wooden stool and watched. He set his choices in a row and look inquiringly at her.  
“Ah. Interesting choices. Which speaks most to you?”  
Anders surveyed them for a long time, then shook his head. “I like them all.”  
“But they’re all three quite different, yes?”  
He squinted in the morning light. “Yes and no.”  
“How so?”  
“The first one, the three apples, is small and so full of deep green light. The second, the girl pouring water, is also full of light, but it’s not the same, it’s sunlight. The third, with the faces put together of old pieces of paper, is not so light, yet it forms a triangle on the field, like the other two. If I had to choose, I think I’d pick the three dark faces because I want to hear what they have to say.”  
She regarded him closely, then smiled. “The three faces work is a Romare Bearden collage. From the 20th century.”  
He stared. “That old?”  
She chuckled and nodded. “You focused on a very interesting characteristic of the work--its narrative quality.”  
“You mean it tells a story?”  
“Yes, but not like a written story. More like a conversation that winds back on itself, then goes forward, sometimes loud, sometimes soft.” She reached for the collage. “You have an eye, cher.”  
“I want to buy it.”  
She shook her head. “Not today.”  
He frowned. “Then why did you have it out with the others?”  
Her thin shoulders rose and fell. “I’m not ready to sell it. Come back in a week. If you still want it, we’ll talk again.”  
Anders had gone off and spent time with his friends. He didn’t leave with them when they went back home, but stayed through the week. As the week drew to a close, he couldn’t stop thinking about the art he’d seen. He was at the woman’s house bright and early the next morning. She beckoned to him from her garage and he helped her set up once again.  
She lifted the collage out of its soft casing. “What do you think of the Bearden now?”  
Anders gazed at it. It was even more powerful than he’d remembered. “They’re shouting out. And the way they’re placed on the surface is imperfect. It keeps me just off balance, like someone who keeps challenging me to look and listen in different ways.”  
The woman’s smile widened. “Yes. You’ve befriended it.”  
“I think it came after me.”  
She laughed. “I know that feeling.” She set the work back in its case. "Come back this afternoon, after I’m done here. We’ll talk.”  
So began the friendship that would change Anders’ life and plant the seeds of the Heritage Collection. The woman’s name was Laure Gillkison and she and her late husband had traveled the world, collecting art. Every time Anders visited Laure, she taught him some lesson in appreciating art of all kinds. Anders took a job in New Orleans, and worked hard so he could save his money to buy art. One day, Laure met him in her kitchen, where they drank tea. She asked him what he thought should happen to the art they loved so much.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Should it be kept in private homes? Should it be in museums? Does art really belong to any of us, with the possible exception of the artist, of course.”  
They had discussed and debated and at last she seemed to have reached some satisfactory assessment of his opinions. “Anders, do you follow the news?”  
He shrugged. “I see a bit on my vid unit, but it doesn’t mean much to me.”  
“You need to watch and watch carefully. There are dangerous entities coming into power. People who believe they know what is best for all.”  
“Like the Unity Faith Party?”  
She lowered her voice. “Yes. Their kind of regime has been seen before on Earth. They are enemies of freedom. Enemies of freedom are the enemies of art, of learning, of the exchange of ideas without fear. The time is already here. One of the things groups like this attack first when they come to power is art.”  
“They can’t take it away! There’s too much of it.”  
“True. But which pieces of art should they take and which should they...leave? Would you trade a Bearden for a Vermeer? A Picasso for a Rembrandt?”  
“No. God, no.”  
“I am telling you all this in strictest confidence, Anders. I have collected art for many, many years. I have far, far more works than you’ve seen here. I have friends, too, who have been collecting artworks. Slowly, carefully, and in deepest secret, we are hiding them.”  
He gawked at her. “Hiding them? Isn’t that what you were just warning me about? Taking art away from the rest of the world?”  
She nodded, her dark eyes clear and bright. “You’re right. It does fly in the face of our values. Or so it seems. But the truth is, cher, all the times that groups like the Unity party have come to power in our world, art has been confiscated, desecrated, destroyed. They will tell us that some art is bad for us and they must suppress it for the greater good. And they will do it. Art will be destroyed and artists will be reviled and even persecuted.”  
Anders had considered her words. He knew enough history to know she was speaking the truth. He simply couldn’t imagine that it could happen in his life, on his world.  
But Laure had allowed him to look around at the current state of the world and he quickly saw she was right. He began to travel and, at her direction, to collect art. She seemed to have substantial funds and numerous connections. He met with them and they’d placed in his hands works of art that had somehow drifted out of museums and collections. Masterpieces without homes. Some were ancient, some as fresh as that month. Most were paintings, but there were also sculptures and drawings and even textiles.  
She also entrusted him with a map, marking places where artworks could be shipped, stored, hidden. When he was approaching thirty, he met a lovely girl named Celia who treasured both art and books. Once they knew each other, she confided that she had long since been collecting and hiding the best books she could find. It was a huge job but she was determined to begin her own hiding place. Anders married his darling and they traveled the world together, quietly acquiring treasures. They returned often to the Queen City and their beloved Laure. It was plain, one day, that Laure’s life was drawing to a close. She drew them both to her and made them vow to carry on the work she and her husband had begun so many decades before. Rumors of war had turned to small wars all over the world and the Unity Faith Party was gaining power in many countries. All she had predicted seemed to be coming true.  
On the day Laure died, Anders and Celia had been at her bedside. She gave Anders one last map and to Celia, a key. Then she’d smiled and breathed her last. After they’d laid her to rest and celebrated her life with her many friends, Anders learned that she had left everything to him and Celia: her house, her fortune, and her collection. They followed her map to an isolated old airplane hangar long abandoned and overgrown with weeds. The key proved to open a trap door in the floor and they entered an enormous sub-level that was crammed with artworks. Anders and his wife knew at once what they had to do. They packed up, moved to a little town nearby, then set to work, quietly shaping the basement into many levels, with the help of Laure’s contacts. They cataloged and referenced, labeled and filed. Celia brought her book collection and added it to the treasure trove. They planned and set secret routes and entrances, and spent the rest of their lives as teachers in a local school, so they could work with ease. When their children, a son and a daughter, were old enough, they were told the secret and they joined in the efforts, catching their parents’ passion. By the end of Anders’ life, sadly, it was clear that all Laure had foretold was coming to pass. Anders’ last request of his son was to ready the storehouse for full-time residency.  
Still, people understood and they risked everything to bring art, books, information, vids, specimens of all kinds, to the storehouses that were now developing around the world. Some were intercepted, jailed, even tortured, but no one had discovered the storehouses, so far. Some had died. Some had despaired but they never told anyone else the secrets of the Project. Over the generations, as Unified Earth proved to be all they had feared and more, the adherence to secrecy and stealth had tightened. Still the Talcott name had been linked to the Heritage Collection for all time, secret though it was.  
“And that’s how it came to be passed down through my family.” Susanna watched the stars overhead. She recalled Papa’s words to her when she was a teen.  
“My father told me lives had been given to create the Collection and the storehouse. Fortunes had been given. All these works represent the hope of the future. For my children, perhaps, or my grandchildren. But I believe that the madness on our planet will begin to crumble one day and then we can bring these treasures back into the light.”  
There was a long silence. The stars continued to wheel slowly. Finally, Denar got up and switched off the vid, then raised the lights. “I’m going to walk security.”  
He was gone without another word. Susannah sat up and stared after him. She looked to Tynevek. He looked sad, yet kind.  
“Don’t worry, little scholar. He’ll be all right. It was nothing you did.”  
She wasn’t so sure. He had that resolute, dominating look about him that she’d come to call his Dramok Face.  
“Come, little one.” Kyrnis held out his hand. “Time for bed. Tynevek has been jealous ever since I told him you sucked my cocks so sweetly. I want to watch him receive the same treat.”  
She shook her head, smiling, but took his hand. “Nice way to distract me, sir.”  
Tynevek looked at her severely. “That will be enough out of you. Remember you are the scholar, Susannah. That makes us your teachers. You have no idea what we might do to you if you refuse to take your lessons.”  
Her heart tripped quickly. She wasn’t sure how much was teasing and how much was threat with these three. Both seemed exciting, somehow. She lowered her eyes and let them lead her away.  
Their ploy to divert her mind from Denar worked well. She was soon lost in a deep lake of sensations as she worked to gratify Tynevek’s desire and exult in his roaring, trembling climax. Then Tynevek moved behind, taking her deeply, gently as she ministered again to Kyrnis with her mouth. They kept her on the edge for a long time, then insisted she come again and again before they both released inside her, driving her to almost terrifying heights. They eased her down, down, into their surrounding arms and adoring kisses. She was exhausted and sleepy.  
She didn’t notice that Denar stood shadowed in a corner, simply watching.  
#  
“Well, she’s done it again.”  
Tynevek looked up from his morning meal. “What’s she done, my Nobek? If you mean last night she fucked us both until she nearly killed us with pleasure, then yes, I agree.”  
“Yes, she did that. But I meant that with her story last night, she just reinforced what the Project means to her.”  
“We knew that already.”  
“We did. But this makes it so much more difficult, especially for Denar. She hit our Dramok with three things he values most: honor, sacrifice for others, and loyalty to family.”  
Tynevek sat back. “I see. You’re right. Denar will have to digest all this and figure out a way to justify or at least persuade her she should abandon those values and come with us.”  
“Why doesn’t she see her survival depends on leaving? No one is coming to help her. The whole place could fall down on her beautiful head if she’s hit with a full-out assault by Earther forces.”  
“I know. But Susannah and Denar are two of a kind. They are above all faithful, loyal, and responsible.”  
“Not to mention stubborn to a fault when they believe they’re right.”  
The Imdiko reached out and tugged Kyrnis’ braid, gusting a sigh. “The trouble is, they’re both right.” He grimaced. “There’s more, though, and maybe this is what’s worse. This whole endeavor, this Project was built on the hope and the belief that there would be a future for the people of Earth.”  
Kyrnis’ eyes closed as he took this in. “Damn. I am glad I’m not the Dramok in this fight.”  
Tynevek chuckled dryly. “I know what you mean. But you know you might have to fight to keep them from destroying each other. And I may have to pick up the pieces when this blows up.”  
“You think it’s going to?”  
The Imdiko stared into the distance for a long moment. “I hope not. By the ancients, I’m a mess.” He faced his Nobek. “All I can think of is Susannah. I can barely keep my mind on the work we need to do without it drifting off into some reverie about her delicious breasts or her quirky mind. Sometimes both together.”  
Kyrnis snorted. “I’m not so complicated. I just want to be buried inside her, night and day. If Denar didn’t order me to work, I’d be at her every minute of the day. I can’t get enough of her.” He shot his clanmate a glance. “You don’t think there’s something wrong, do you? Like she has some sort of power over us? We don’t know everything about Earthers, you know.”  
Tynevek suppressed his smile. “No, I don’t think anything’s wrong with you or Susannah. I think she’s the most adorable, desirable, fascinating woman I’ve ever encountered. And yes, now that you’ve brought it up, I want to be buried to the hilts in her right now.” He grinned. “If there’s something wrong with that, then all three of us have been infected.”  
“Our Dramok likes being buried in her, too.”  
“Without a doubt. And while he might not admit it, I think he likes how stubborn she is. She’s sweet and soft-spoken and meltingly submissive in bed, but she knows her own mind and she’s his match in sense of duty, intelligence, and her need to be in charge of her work.”  
Kyrnis drained the last drop of his chai and rose from the table. Tynevek joined him at the sink to rinse his dishes.  
“Don’t worry. This will work itself out.”  
Kyrnis turned to him. “Can you let her go?”  
Tynevek took a step back at his Nobek’s sharp question. His clan needed to calm down and focus on getting out of this place. That was their first priority. He needed to help them see that.  
“I don’t want her staying down here, I know that.” He began to finish the washing up. “But I don’t want to force her, either. It’s going to take time and some careful persuasion.”  
He looked up at his clanmate and grinned. “And in the meanwhile, we’ll take every opportunity to bury ourselves deep in that sweet, warm, little body.”  
#  
Denar had walked the whole of the storehouse the previous night. He’d walk, growl, think some more. He’d checked and rechecked every corner and cupboard. His restless body matched his restless thoughts. He’d looked over the multitude of artifacts that had been preserved in this place and shaken his head in wonder. It truly was a labor of love that had created this. It had been insanely and admirably dangerous, knowing how heavily Earth authorities came down on people they deemed blasphemous and subversive. It had taken sacrifice and hard work and the patience to see it through. The dedication to keep something safe and sacred for generations to come was beyond reproach. He wished his people had such a future.  
Yet, as he’d stalked about the displays and libraries and labs, he’d realized that Susannah’s people were not much different than his. Not now.  He and his kind had blasted their hope to shreds. Wiped it out. The future generations of Earth, for all purposes, were lost. Kalquor had set off the chain of events that had made Susannah’s work--her family’s work--their dreams, hopes, and even deaths, absolutely pointless.  
He’d stopped and stared at a display of Asian ceramics, not really seeing it. Susannah, with her clever brain and her innocent nature, was clinging with all of her being to that hope. She’d kept faith with her ancestors and with the future. How in the name of the Mother of them all had it come down to this?  
There could be no future for the Heritage Project, no day when it would be safe to open it up and return all these treasures to the people of Earth. In the long, far future, when Earth could support life once again, it would be a profoundly different place. It was unlikely the human race would be a part of that. Kalquor had had more than a hand in that loss.  
Now, he was expected to ask the one to whom the Project meant the most to abandon it and come away with the alien bastards who’d helped to erase its meaning. He had to do it. Susannah couldn’t stay down here, couldn’t stay on Earth. They’d trashed her world, trashed her work and her purpose, trashed her legacy, and they would have to insist that she come with them, even force her, if it came to that, in order to save her life.  
They were going to destroy their sweet little “clanmate for now.” Break her gentle, dutiful heart. He prowled around the storehouse for another hour, calming himself. He was the Dramok and the leader of this little group. He would make his decision and he would hold to it. He’d be the one who took the consequences and the responsibility. That was his role.  
But when he’d finally gone down to their down to their sleeping room, his mind and body had been sent into turmoil once more. He’d stood in a dark corner, watching his Imdiko wrapping Susannah in a warm embrace, kissing and petting her as Kyrnis drove her to ecstasy with his hands and his mouth. He’d trembled with need as their pretty companion had smiled sweetly and kissed her way down Tynevek’s body so she could take him into her mouth and pleasure him to near-madness. He’d seen the heat in his clanmate’s eyes, the ecstasy on his face as her soft lips had wrapped around his larger cock, treating him to delicious licking, sucking, and stroking. Tynevek had caressed her hair and murmured to her of his delight in her ministrations. Then, when she took him in as deeply as she could, his Imdiko had almost come up off the sleeping mat, roaring with the force of his cock pulsing into her warm, suckling mouth. Denar himself almost came, right where he stood, watching.  
He was pleased for his longtime clanmate. Tynevek was one of the kindest, most caring people Denar had ever known and it delighted him that his Imdiko was receiving such adoring, lusty, attention from a woman he knew Tynevek ardently admired. The same was true for his Nobek, who was subsequently treated to the same sort of wonderful torture as Tynevek, while Tynevek took her joyously from behind. That time, Denar barely managed to slip out of the room before he was overcome by his own hot release. He’d gone to the showers on Level Two to clean up and had lain down on one of the couches in the living area.  
Now, this morning, after a few short hours of restless sleep, he had no more answers than he’d had last night. He was enough of a bastard to enjoy this delay. He could acknowledge that Susannah had captivated him and his clan. She’d given them more pleasure and delight than they’d had in years, perhaps more than they’d ever have. Her boundless curiosity, her clever mind, her innocence coupled with her openness to try new things and to give them control over her in bed, brought out the best in his clan. Her hunger for knowledge, her gentle ways, her acceptance of them just as they were drove them to seek new ways, every day, to serve and care for her.  
He waited before he allowed himself to return to their company. He thought of her body. Her giving nature drew him day and night until he craved her so much that even now, guilty and apprehensive as he was, he still stirred with the anticipation of bedding her tonight.  
But he had been the imbecile with the brainstorm of giving her a star show, which had led to her story of how the Project had come to be. Instead of joining in and sharing Susannah with his clan, he’d spent a night of dark accusations and frustration, alone.  
How could he ask her to leave when she’d given so much of herself in so wonderful a cause? When he and his people were the destroyers of that cause? Sooner or later, they were going to have to tell Susannah the whole story of why they’d come to find her. She would be hurt and angry and frightened, there was no help for it.  
Most of all, she would hate them.  
He swung out at the empty air. He wanted to get her out of here before they had to reveal everything about the war and Armageddon. Once she knew, she’d never forgive them.  
He was a rotten, lying, selfish, bastard but he wasn’t ready to tell her yet. He wasn’t ready to give up this little idyll in the midst of all the death and fury and sadness in the aftermath of the war. He wanted his clan to know peace, even for this short time. He didn’t want to drop this horrible news on Susannah just yet. He wanted time to convince her to come with them because she trusted them. Because she could see it was the right thing to do.  
The time was coming when he would have to tell her. But for now, he would wait.


	8. Chapter Eight

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Eight

The atmosphere around the store house had been somber for a couple of days. Susannah had wondered if the clan was angry with her for some reason, but they treated her with as much respect and care as ever, and in bed they were the same demanding, dizzying, delightful teachers she’d come to know over the past week or so. They were tireless lovers and she sometimes wondered how she could keep up with all three of them, but then they would swoop in and pamper and care for her until she positively wallowed in blissful comfort. What was making them so glum? She wished she understood them better, but she didn’t know if they would welcome her prying into their feelings. If she knew what was making them sad, she might be able to help. From what she’d seen so far, Kalquorians had emotions much like Earthers’.  
She decided it was just a passing mood, especially when the next night, after dinner, Kyrnis dragged them all to the medieval section, where he showed them what he’d found in an old chest: swords from Earth’s Middle Ages, sharp and deadly. She was immediately distracted.  
“These are perfect!” Denar seized a sword and stepped off to swing it over his head and slice it through the air.  
“Look at this! Light and strong!” Kyrnis pivoted and thrust, almost skewering his Dramok.  
Susannah shrieked. “No! Be careful! Those aren’t playthings!”  
Kyrnis swept her up with one arm and held her on his hip. “I claim this female to be my prize by right of arms!”  
“I challenge you, you worthless gasha scum!” Tynevek dashed to a table top and leapt up with one graceful bound. Susannah cringed as Kyrnis lunged for him, but the Imdiko met the blade with a slashing stroke, then leapt and somersaulted through the air, landing behind his larger clanmate, lightly as a cat. Her jaw dropped in astonishment. Tynevek’s deep purple eyes snapped.  
Before she could blink, Denar waded into the fray. He pressed Kyrnis back toward the corner, whacking and clashing until sparks flew from the blades. Susannah wasn’t sure if she was more worried about the artifacts, the men playing joyfully with very sharp things, or her own safety as the prize of these mad aliens.  
Her eyes narrowed. What did they mean by prize, anyway?  
“Put me down!” She pounded away at the rock wall of Kyrnis’ chest. He carried her to a tall cupboard and easily set her up on top. “No, don’t leave me up—”  
He was off and away, swashbuckling into the center of the room, where his clanmates were slamming blows like thunderclaps on each other. Denar’s sword almost caught Tynevek’s shoulder, but the lithe Imdiko flipped away, laughing. Denar swung out almost without seeing and met Kyrnis’ deadly stroke, thrusting him away and grimacing in triumph. Kyrnis snarled and surged in, slashing with the force of an oncoming mill-saw.  
She sat on high, her hands on her cheeks, sometimes hiding her eyes and shrieking as one or another Kalquorian drew blood, slashed sleeves, or came within precious inches of decapitating his mates. How could this possibly be fun, she wondered, looking at their bright eyes and flashing grins. They were civilized, skilled, intelligent, yet there seemed to be a streak of savagery that drove them to dominate, to fight, to compete. At least she understood that much about them.  
What would such a feral winner do when he bore away his “prize,” his bloodlust high? She shivered and covered her eyes again as Tynevek disarmed Denar and shoved him aside. She peeked to see that now the Nobek faced the Imdiko. She didn’t see how the gentler, smaller Tynevek could possibly best the huge, warlike Kyrnis in a fight.  
“You have no grace, Nobek.” Tynevek danced on the balls of his feet. “How can you hope to win the lady if you tromp around like one of those Earther elephants Susannah told us about?”  
“You have arms like twigs, Imdiko. My grandmother could beat you with a cooking spoon.”  
“Then you’d better fetch her here to defend you!” Tynevek leapt back as Kyrnis almost disemboweled him.  
Big hands suddenly reached up and pulled her down. She landed in Denar’s arms and he kissed her hard. He turned to run off with her.  
The other two howled. “Oh, no, you don’t! Put her down, you whoreson bastard!”  
The Dramok raced from the room. The others pounded after him. Susannah buried her face in Denar’s chest and hung on for her life as they tore from chamber to chamber and then from level to level. At one point, Denar tossed her off to Kyrnis, who tossed him his sword in exchange. Denar waded into battle against the clever Tynevek, who darted in and out, touching and then withdrawing with a leap or a flip. Kyrnis then tossed her to Tynevek and took the sword to bear on Denar. The Dramok bellowed in rage and delight.  
If she wasn’t sure one or more of them was about to be killed, herself included, Susannah might actually have enjoyed the wild, impromptu tournament. But as she was in the thick of it, she cringed and shouted and hid from the impending blades.  
She soon came to realize that none of the three allowed her to come within a foot of a sword-point or blade. They were unerring in their protection, even as they hugged her close and fought on with her in their grasp. Now and again, the one carrying her would step back from the conflict and spend a few stolen seconds taking outrageous liberties with her body, thrusting probing hands down her blouse, cupping her sex, fondling her bottom. They seemed just as ready to rut in the middle of war as they were at peace. She looked about and saw that all three sported enormous erections.  
She began to laugh. Their big, hot bodies were built for this, their innate, aggressive natures as suited to it as knights of old competing in a tournament. They growled and snarled, but she never doubted that they would stop short of seriously injuring one of their clanmates, just as she sensed they would never allow her to be hurt. This was Kalquorian play. She knew more about them, now: They were protective of those they cared about, even though they were wired for sex and for battle. An interesting confluence of traits.  
In the end, it came down to Kyrnis and the tireless Tynevek. The last gambit came when Kyrnis managed to feint left as the Imdiko darted right. The Nobek’s arm came up and slammed the flat of his sword against the other man’s sword arm and Tynevek gave up his weapon with a roar of pain. They came to a halt, their huge chests heaving, staring each other down with bared fangs.  
Then, Tynevek began to grin. The Nobek smiled and lowered his weapon. Denar came forward with Susannah in his arms. He had one hand buried between her legs as he supported her against his chest. She was hot and squirming at the delicious fondling, even through her clothes.  
Kyrnis took her from Denar and slung her over his shoulder, making her shriek  
again. He swaggered off with her, his clanmates hooting and jeering behind them.  
Denar called after him. “Only this one night! And don’t expect to get anywhere near her tomorrow!”  
When they were out of sight of the others, Kyrnis swung her off his shoulder and set her gently on her feet. He was sweating and smiling, his eyes shooting sparks even in the dim corridor. He was magnificent, she thought, even as she quaked at what might come next. He glanced about, eyes narrowing.  
“Let me see. Where can I take my sweet prize so I can enjoy her in peace?”  
She put her hands on her hips. “Since when does peace mean anything to you guys?”  
He laughed and grabbed her hand. “I know what I want.”  
He led her swiftly to the recreation of a 22nd century bedroom. He guided her in, closed the door, and locked it. He looked down at her and suddenly his genial look was gone. The predator and fighter was back. He took her wrist and pulled her toward the huge rocker bed. He had her stripped in a heartbeat and he hefted her onto the billowy mattress. Then, he set about pulling down the big ribbons that held back some of the drapes around the room. She gulped as he stalked toward the bed, running the ties through his fingers.  
Oh, she was in for it now...  
Denar and Tynevek greeted her the next morning with warm, smacking kisses and big, mischievous grins. She looked at them with suspicion, but they went about their tasks, fixing breakfast and taking turns feeding her. She supposed she should be happy they were no longer so somber.  
“I still can’t quite get used to this,” she said as she accepted a bit of dried pear from Denar. “I’m not an infant, you know. I can feed myself.”  
“But we like to feed you.” Tynevek brought her a mug of fragrant tea. “Besides, it is the first time our clan has had the chance to do this. It feels very good to us.”  
“Are Mataras helpless?”  
He grinned. “Not at all. But they give us so much, that we like to give back. Besides, it lets me come in close so I can do this when I wish.” He kissed her quickly, a hand on her breast, giving it a warm squeeze.  
She winced.  
“Ohh.” His grin faded only a little. “I see our Nobek made hard use of you last night. Shall I give you something for it, sweetling?”  
She shook her head, her cheeks flushing with warmth. “I’m all right. I’m getting used to the way you guys play.”  
“Are you?” Denar’s voice sounded amused.  
She frowned. “What do you mean?”  
He waved a hand. “It’s nothing. Ah, here comes your conquering hero now.”  
Kyrnis went to the galley and poured a cup of chai. Denar tapped on his tablet and began to laugh, again. Susannah marveled once again at how his mischievous grin lightened his usually severe face.  
“What’s funny, my Dramok?” Kyrnis drawled, sipping his chai.  
“Oh, just a vid.” Snickering, Denar turned the image toward the Nobek. “What do you think?”  
Susannah peered at the figures in the air as Denar raised the volume. Groans and sighs and panting yelps came through the speaker. Her cheeks caught flame.  
Somehow, the demon—or demons, from the look of suppressed glee on Tynevek’s face—had somehow run a vid camera into the room while she and Kyrnis had coupled on the rocker bed. There she was, spread-eagled and bound, heaving and mewling as the Nobek drove her wild with his mouth and hands. She could scarcely believe the steady stream of erotic demands and pleas that were issuing from her mouth as Kyrnis tormented her to madness. She recalled none of it specifically, and yet it was all very familiar. She really had lost all control in the heat of his savage pleasuring.  
A voice-over full of plummy, officious tones spoke up as if this was a nature documentary.  
“Now, dear viewers, as you can see, the female of this species is in a state of keen frustration due to the lack of expertise on the part of her mate. His tongue does not seem to be able to locate her pussy, as she so succinctly begs of him, and his fingers are too clumsy to penetrate her very attractive yet needy ass. This is a sad example of the failure of today’s young males to master the art of satisfying a female.”  
Kyrnis snarled. “Jealous old man.” His eyes glittered with both sexual and blood-lust. The other men were playing with fire, she thought.  
Another voice joined the commentary. “I agree, my esteemed colleague.” It was Tynevek. “Even if this male had three cocks and four fangs, I don’t believe he’d provide his female with anything more than a weak tickle.”  
Now the Nobek on the image crawled up over on-screen Susannah and hauled her legs up onto his chest, readying himself to enter her. He was rampantly erect in both sexes and his forceful shove as he entered her had been so thrilling she’d screamed. His clanmates, however, were having none of it. They’d edited that out.  
“Note that our sad male has become confused and is attempting to wear the female as a shirt.”  
“Perhaps he is addled by the bed that seems to be rocking like a ship in high seas. The female is clearly growing nauseated.”  
She had to suppress her own smile as the rocker bed was set into motion by Kyrnis’ deep thrusts. It had been a wonderful sensation, full and forceful. These two were making it sound like a prelude to upchucking rather than to orgasm.  
Across the table, Kyrnis was growling steadily. She shivered, watching his dark intent. His sounds spoke of both arousal and threat.  
“With the aid of a navigational system, a lantern, and an instructional vid, it seems the male has at last found his way into the female. Yet it remains to be seen if he can satisfy his partner before he succumbs to his usual too-early finish.” Denar’s voice-over was smarmy with satisfaction.  
Tynevek’s voice piped up. “My money is on the too-early finish. It doesn’t look good for the fem—oops, and there he goes. I’m afraid it’s all over, dear viewers.”  
Denar’s voice replied: “To be fair, I think that was a record for this male. Almost fifteen seconds, wasn’t it?”  
“You will both die long and painful deaths,” Kyrnis rumbled.  
The devils must have edited the vid because Susannah knew Kyrnis had made her come three times, teasing and denying and tormenting her before he had roared to his own climax. Not once did they show her sobbing and screaming and clawing at him in frantic joy. Or the aftermath of laughter, sighs, and kisses. She pushed back her chair. It might be safer to clear out of the way before the glowering Nobek took his clanmates apart at the joints. For starters.  
Denar looked at Tynevek. “A most enlightening vid, wouldn’t you say?”  
“Oh, most instructive. But such a tragic ending. That sweet female must be aching to be taken by a couple of real men.”  
Kyrnis dove. Susannah shrieked and leaped away from the table. Snarling and growling erupted, along with hoots of laughter. A tangle of big bodies slammed to the floor and rolled across the space into the sitting area.  
Susannah watched them for a moment or two, appalled. Then, she remembered. Tynevek had told her about this. It was Kalquorian play. If they didn’t let off steam, they’d go mad. Or turn savage.  
Males. At least, they were in a lighter mood.  
She sauntered from the room, heading for her work in the Pre-History section, pleased to have worked out something that seemed elemental to the clan. She was also feeling very smug and female.  
She just hoped they didn’t get too much blood on the rug.  
# Susannah wrapped up the last tests on the makeup of the old print book of Huckleberry Finn and smiled. As she replaced the precious item in its archival box, she felt a satisfaction with her work that she hadn’t felt in days. She’d spent a lot of time working with the clan to make repairs and clean up damages after the explosions, along with tending to the storehouse itself and the Bio-gardens. She’d prepared meals, though the clan had been at pains to politely disguise their lack of delight at her culinary skills. She’d gone swimming with them, worked out in the gym, and showed them more of the Collection. She’d also had lots of sex with them, too, separately and as a clan. She was very satisfied with that, but she realized she’d been missing her real work, that of studying and preserving the many, many items still to be cataloged in the storehouse.  
She liked it when one or the other of the Kalquorians came to help her in that work. They were so technologically advanced that she scarcely had to tell them what to do, they just sought out the right tools and worked alongside her. Tynevek excelled at all things relating to chemistry, biology, medicine, and physiology. Denar was amazingly adept at working with the delicate, antique maps, vids, recordings, and special ephemera that were part of the history and geography sections. Kyrnis seemed to revel in working with all technology, even the most ancient and primitive and he seemed to be able to conjure up new tools or adaptations of existing tools that made the jobs easier or more effective. All three loved to be around when she worked in the art sectors and, invariably, they’d come to help her tackle big jobs like scrubbing the floors, cleaning the pool, maintaining the gardens, and keeping the living space appliances and systems in top working order. They moved like lightning through most of these tasks, sometimes becoming mere blurs spinning around her. It made everything go more quickly and she was grateful for the break from doing it all herself, even if at times their speed made her dizzy.  
She was coming to know each of them as individuals, too, and found them endlessly fascinating. Their separate breeds defined many of their characteristics, she found, but the breed traits were broad, like wide brush strokes in their overall personalities. Within each man were more or less of all three breed-traits, making their relationships far from simple or predictable. She wouldn’t have guessed that Kyrnis was such a fine cook, able to concoct delicacies out of even the most mundane or limited ingredients; she would have thought that the Imdiko would have been the chef. She’d learned that while Tynevek was the more romantic, affectionate of the three, Denar adored taking her to the showers and spoiling every blessed inch of her body with soaps, lotions, and oils. She had to remind him from time to time that the water-heating system needed to recharge now and then, he took so long with his enjoyable endeavors. As for Tynevek, she was impressed when she saw he had no qualms about bullying his larger, stronger clanmates and setting his foot down over their physical well-being. She’d even seen him bare his fangs at Denar when Denar went too long without eating or sleeping. The Dramok had taken the threat seriously and had amazed her by following his Imdiko’s orders at once.  
There were things that troubled her, though. She studied them when they weren’t looking and saw that Kyrnis’ eyes followed his Dramok like iron to a magnet when Denar moved about a room. She wasn’t completely sure what their relationship was, physically, although there had been hints of bisexuality in some of the data she’d gathered on their race. She thought she’d be repelled at the notion, but now that she knew them, she could easily see the three men as lovers and she couldn’t find anything wrong with that. She just wasn’t sure what that meant in regard to her. Was she just a novelty to them? They didn’t seem to be interested in having sex with one another while they were all in bed together, and they were so busy making love to her most of the time, she couldn’t see how they might make the opportunity to have sex with one another. She didn’t have any idea how to broach the subject with them, however.  
From time to time, too, she caught Denar looking pale and almost fearful, glancing around at the rock walls and up to the ceiling. It confounded her, for everything she knew about the Dramok said he was confident to the point of arrogance, ready to take charge at every moment. His clanmates had told her snippets of stories of how Denar had taken on pirates, or wild beasts, or--according to Kyrnis--Kyrnis’ most formidable Nobek father. Tynevek had told her a bit about it one afternoon when they were making the midday meal.  
“Kyrnis was of clanning age when we met him, but he was the youngest of his family and they had ambitions for him.” The Imdiko grinned, briefly. “Our Dramok may seem like the most orderly and serious of men but when it comes to relationships, he can be quick to engage.”  
“I see. Impetuous in love?”  
“Perhaps not impetuous, but when he knows what he wants, he doesn’t wait around.”  
“I called him a hard-charger.”  
Tynevek chuckled. “That would be Denar. And once he was assured that Kyrnis and I were also ready, he went to Kyrnis’ family and asked to clan their beloved youngest son, right away. There was a lot of snarling, thumping, and at one point, they almost threw us both out, bodily. Kyrnis’ Nobek father is an ode to protectiveness.”  
Susannah laughed. “As Kyrnis will likely be when he’s a father.”  
Tynevek paused for a moment and that wistful look returned. An instant later, it vanished, and he went on.  
“Denar wouldn’t accept no for an answer, of course. He and Nobek Idna met several times over the course of a month. Denar was so persistent that eventually Idna came to see that he was serious about his son.”  
“Why didn’t he want you to clan Kyrnis? Kyrnis was of age, so why didn't you just clan?”  
“His family had already made plans for him to join with another, very powerful clan. Kyrnis loves his parents and it was very difficult for him to just say he was going off with a poor medical student and a young flight jockey.”  
“Hmph. Bullies. Prejudiced bullies, too.”  
Tynevek gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “There. See? It’s easy to get protective about those we care for, yes?”  
She gave a twist of her lips. “Oh, I suppose.” She glared at him. “Do you have to be so fair-minded? I wanted a villain in this story.”  
Tynevek smiled and shrugged. “Imdiko, what can I say? But back to the story. Denar never flagged in his efforts to clan with our Kyrnis. And before you say he just doesn’t like to lose, let me tell you that while he likes to win as much as any Dramok alive, he doesn’t play games when it comes to relationships. He wanted Kyrnis and Kyrnis’ happiness more than he wanted to win. That was how he proved himself to Idna.”  
“What did he do?”  
“He walked away. He told Idna that he wouldn’t come between Kyrnis and the family that means so much to him. Kyrnis was choosing not to go ahead and clan because he didn’t want to hurt them, Denar said. He wouldn’t chance hurting Kyrnis by alienating his fathers. Although, to be fair, Idna was the only holdout by that time.”  
Susannah’s eyes were wide. “He just left Kyrnis?”  
“He did. An hour later, Idna was on our doorstep, apologizing and saying that he was willing to consent, now that he was sure Denar had Kyrnis’ best interests at heart.”  
“Wow.”  
“Wow, yes.”  
“Do you think Kyrnis gave his papa an earful after Denar left?”  
Tynevek’s smile flashed. “Oh, undoubtedly. And Idna saw that by fighting this, he was making his son unhappy. Nobek or not, he is a fond father. He knew that Kyrnis would be better off with a clan that loves him for himself. A clan that will fight to keep him. That will work to see him happy even if it costs them greatly. No amount of social standing can replace that.”  
“Aww. Denar won his Nobek.”  
“As did his Imdiko.” Tynevek’s eyes were bright. “There is no other like our Kyrnis.”  
Susannah had to agree. Still, it was a puzzle to her when she saw the bold, determined Denar swallowing against a fear that tightened his whole being. He seemed to recover quickly, but all the same, it hurt to see the powerful clan leader so vulnerable.  
Then there was the beautiful Imdiko himself. Susannah could stare at him all day, she thought, and never tire of that handsome face and lithe, powerful body. His lovemaking was as friendly as it was exciting, allowing for laughter and silliness and warmth as well as driving passion and mind-shattering climaxes. Yet he, too, sometimes looked a little lost, almost sad. He would stand in a reverie, then, sighing, shake himself and go on, returning to his usual, kindly self.  
She packed away the slides and the recorded data on the old paper book. She puttered about the lab, alone for the first time in a couple of days. The only thing she could conclude from her observations was that the men must be missing their own people and their regular life. That was what was unsettling them. It hurt, a bit, to contemplate it, but they must have so much to get back to, and here they were, stuck underground with her. They needed to get back to their unit. They had family and jobs and friends outside. Plus, there was a war going on.  
She stripped off her gloves and shrugged out of her lab smock. She had no right to be sad. She’d known this was inevitable, that they’d leave her and get on with their lives, sooner rather than later. Yet there was still so much more she wanted to know! She hadn’t asked them nearly enough questions about their home world. All three of them had been teaching her to speak Kalquorian and she was loving the challenge of learning their language. She was endlessly curious about sex, of course, and she was coming to love pleasing them, giving them everything. She wasn’t sure what that said about her, but there it was.  
Maybe what she needed now was to begin pulling back from them, though. They couldn’t stay here indefinitely.  
Or, perhaps she needed to indulge even more, to plunge into every act with them so she tasted everything to the fullest before their inevitable departure. That sounded good and she was able to test the idea that very night.  
Kyrnis pounced on her as she’d left the showers and was on her way to bed. He scooped her up, growling, and she felt suddenly like Little Red Riding Hood captured by the Big Bad Wolf. He stalked into the clan’s sleeping room and, ignoring her shrieks, turned her upside down in his arms, hooked her legs over his shoulders, and began immediately to devour her.  
Shock and elation overcame her. The torment of what he could do with just his lips and tongue was devastating. He held her fast, his arms wrapped around her hips, so she felt both secure from falling but also helpless in his grasp. Finally, with a wicked chuckle that buzzed against her swollen flesh, he tipped her over the edge. She thrashed and screamed and twisted in his hold, her body bursting with delicious, all-consuming pleasure.  
As the Nobek lowered her to the bed, applause sounded from behind them. Denar and Tynevek had been watching the whole time! She would have blushed if wasn’t already red from hanging upside down. She wanted to shrink, knowing they’d seen how she’d been captured and held in such an embarrassing position.  
“Don’t be shy.” Kyrnis had divined her feelings. “You were perfect, little one. I had such pleasure from taking you that way.” He grinned as he lay down beside her. “I think you did too, yes?”  
She gave up. She was quickly learning that with these three, anything went. “Yes, I did,” she admitted, and pulled him in to give him a kiss.  
“We liked watching you.” Tynevek slid his hot, naked body up alongside hers. His erections pressed to her hip underscored his words. “It gives us pleasure, just to see you being taken by our clanmate.”  
It seemed a little strange to her, that they’d want to watch her having sex with another man, but Denar’s hand exploring in the moist, still-swollen regions between her thighs distracted her. “We like it when you’re helpless that way, little one.” Denar’s breath was so near her swollen labia that she tried to wriggle down to get close to his mouth. He held her still. “Why?” she panted.  
“When you’re here, with us, you are ours, Susannah. You are our Matara for now, remember? In this bed, every inch of your body belongs to us. Every move you make, we alone permit.” His tone was absolute, commanding.  
“What if I don’t agree?” Her voice came out sounding breathless.  
“It doesn’t matter. We will have you in any way we desire. You are ours.” He tested her with one finger, feather-light on her still-sensitized flesh.  
She frowned. “I don’t like that arrangement. You might...” She broke off.  
“Might what?” Kyrnis asked.  
She bit her lip, but she had to say it. “You might hurt me.”  
Denar grinned. “We might. If you disobey our wishes.”  
“No, you don’t—”  
“Sweet Susannah.” Tynevek stroked her arm. “We will never let you come to harm. If you are truly frightened or truly hurt, you may tell us at once and we will stop.”  
“But there are times, little scholar, when a little pain can bring great pleasure.” Denar brushed a finger over the entrance to her sheath and she tried once more to wiggle down and take him inside her. He refused to allow it. What did he mean? How could pain bring pleasure?  
“If you find you are genuinely afraid we will harm you, Susannah,” Tynevek said, “give us a word you can say that will mean you want us to stop, and we will stop.”  
“But be sure you are convinced we are hurting you.” Kyrnis suckled gently on one nipple, then pinched it, hard. She jumped and gasped. “You might be surprised what you can bear in order to reach heaven.”  
“Or in order to bring us to heaven.” Denar stroked a finger into her pubic hair, gently tugging and pulling at the narrow strip of dampened curls. She couldn’t believe she was already so turned on, so soon after Kyrnis had wrecked her with his mouth.  
“W-what word?”  
“Any word you like.” Tynevek’s big hand was smoothing over her belly.  
She thought, as best she could with Kyrnis was nipping at her breast again. It needed to be a word that wasn’t common. One she wouldn’t yell out in the throes of ecstasy.  
“Doorknob.” She gave Tynevek a lopsided grin. “It’s simple and I don’t think it would come up often during sex.”  
“Doorknob,” he repeated.  
“Doorknob it is,” said Kyrnis.  
“Doorknob then, sweet, wet, Susannah.” Denar rose up and flipped her easily to her belly. “Now, as I was saying, this beautiful body is ours. Hands and knees, little servant.”  
“Yes, bossy.”  
No more sweet stuff. His growl was pure menace. “Susannah.”  
She grinned over her shoulder as she rose up on all fours. “Kyrnis told me Dramok is the Kalquorian word for bossy.”  
“I’ll deal with him later. But if you are disrespectful again, Susannah, I won’t hesitate to punish you.”  
He put a hand between her shoulder blades and pressed her down so her ass was in the air, open and vulnerable to him. She shivered. His tone had been serious. He might really punish her. The thought terrified her, angered her, and yes, underneath all of that, she was excited. But what sort of punishment did he mean?  
She left off wondering as Denar grasped her hips. She’d heard the anger in his voice and braced herself for a slamming entry. Her excitement ratcheted upward.  
To her surprise, Denar pushed himself gently against her and simply rubbed his cocks over her moist cleft. He teased and played, slipping up over her still-sensitive clit, drawing down over her ruffled flesh, skimming over the entrance to her sheath with silken smoothness. After a few moments of this, she relaxed and he began to press himself into her openings.  
“Ahh.” She loved this moment in their lovemaking. It felt so good, like a homecoming, to have her emptiness filled and be connected to them.  
Denar seated himself fully, then leaned over her back and whispered in her ear. “You thought I was going to take you hard, didn’t you?” He pumped her gently. “And you were excited about that.”  
She wanted to deny it but she knew the Dramok would see right through that lie. She had been excited at the prospect of him shoving into her, full force.  
“A little pain can be exciting.” He nuzzled her neck. “Just the idea of pain can be enough to rouse you, sometimes, yes?”  
“Y-yes.”  
He reached beneath her and gave one of her nipples a sharp pinch. She yelped and almost involuntarily shoved herself back against his cocks. The sensation made her clench down on him, deep inside her. He laughed and leaned down to nip at her neck. “See?” He caressed her breast, soothing it. He never let up his steady, even pumping until he let her go and rose up to place one hand onto her shoulder. He put his other hand to her hip. She was making happy little hums of delight.  
He began again. He pulled her back onto him, then pushed her away, his hips motionless as he slid her back and forth, using her body alone to fuck his steely flesh. He felt huge inside her at this angle and she groaned at the liquid glide of their sexes. Even the ache in her ass, where his smaller cock filled her, was becoming more tolerable with each moment.  
He began to move her faster, shoving her back and forth, increasing the friction in her sex. She groaned at the delicious use, at the orgasm brewing low in her belly. She felt euphoric, floating. Denar stilled. She moaned and wriggled back against him, trying to recapture the delightful rhythm he’d set.  
“No, no, little servant,” he crooned. “You don’t get to move. Stay still so I can play with you the way I want.”  
“You’re mean.”  
“Correct, my scholar.”  
He held off until he felt her relax and submit. Then, he began again, slowly. Just the tiniest movements. Her erotically-induced anxiety rose. He wasn’t going to let her come. He was just going to torture her and then have his own release, she thought. She’d never reach her peak with such tiny motions. She bit her lip to keep the whine of frustration from escaping.  
He chuckled, as if he’d heard her anyway. “I feel your sheath rippling over me. You want to come, don’t you, sweetness?”  
She wasn’t going to answer him. He was baiting her.  
“Ah. Then you don’t want to come. All right.” To her horror, he pulled out and sat back on his haunches.  
She whipped her head around. He was holding his hugely erect sex in one hand, pumping it steadily. He smiled at her, wicked and cruel.  
He was going to finish outside of her? “No!”  
“What, Susannah?”  
“Don’t...do that. Come back inside me.”  
“I’m sorry. Who is in charge here?”  
She gulped. Her sex, her anus both clenched with need. Pride was going to get her precisely nowhere with Denar. And she wanted to be filled again, so, so much.  
“You are.” She whispered the words.  
“I think what you meant to say was ‘You are, Dramok.’ Right?”  
“Yes. You are, Dramok.”  
“Good girl.” He pressed himself to her again. “Whose body is this?” One finger stroked along her spine.  
She shivered, waiting. “Yours, Dramok.”  
“And when do you get to come?”  
“When you say I may, Dramok.”  
She wanted to feel ashamed of her weakness but she simply couldn’t. Her desire for him was too great. She would do whatever it took to get him back inside her.  
“Ahh, very good, precious girl.” He shoved home, full force this time. She shrieked in delight. “I’m going to take you very hard and very fast, Susannah. It may hurt a little. Do you want me to stop again?”  
“No, Dramok!”  
“Oh, sweetness, you make me wild for you.”  
He pushed her down so that she was again pressed to the bed, only her ass in the air. He seized her hips and began to pound into her. She clutched at the bedcover, holding it in her fists as she braced on her forearms, taking his shoves as they rained down on her with increasing force. It was hard, it was fast, and it did hurt a little.  
It was glorious.  
He began to grunt with each slamming thrust. She echoed him with throbbing cries of her own. She fought against the orgasm that was clawing to be released. She would hold out. She would wait for his command. Blessedly, it wasn’t long in coming.  
Denar groaned long and loud. “Now, Susannah. Come with me.”  
The force of her climax was atomic. She was frozen by it at first, balanced on the edge of a knife and then she flew free, almost howling along with Denar’s wolfen cries. Huge spasms wracked her, twisting her and gripping her, making every cell in her body pulse with pleasure.  
Denar fell over her back, his sexes thumping inside her, his seed scalding her sheath. He snarled and groaned and finally, finally, the two of them slid out of the grasp of ecstasy and fell down, limp, into a heap on the bed.  
She floated on a wave of combined satisfaction and intoxicant. Denar rolled off of her and the man who only minutes ago had been a demanding, arrogant brute, pulled her to him for a long, tender kiss. He cuddled her against him, stroking her hair, whispering praises in her ear.  
He hadn’t hurt her, not really. He had made her feel outrageously good. She never would have believed it. His teasing had been miserable but in the end, it had served to make her climax, when it finally came, all the more intense and powerful.  
“I think I came to the right people to learn about sex.”  
Tynevek swooped down on her, laughing. “I’m so glad.” He rubbed his sexes against her thighs. “You see, Matara? We feed you, we pleasure you. We know how to care for you.”  
“You do,” she admitted, smoothing her cheek over Denar’s chest. She felt so proud to be the woman who received not only their care, but their essence. To receive all of their passions and their seed. What would it be like to have this forever?  
Don’t go there, she admonished herself. Just don’t.


	9. Chapter Nine

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Nine

 

Kyrnis finished his weight-training circuit and took his towel over to where Denar was practicing some slow martial arts moves. He wiped his forehead as he watched his Dramok balance, turn, stretch. Denar made a quizzical noise and Kyrnis took it as permission to speak while Denar exercised.   
“I’m getting concerned about the fact that we’re not reaching the outside.”  
Denar nodded slowly, in time with his sweeping movements. “Go on.”  
“Do you think it’s time to think about blowing our way out of here?”  
Denar made another slow turn and then, when he was facing Kyrnis again, he frowned. “I’m not sure that it would be safe.”  
Kyrnis nodded. “I know. We can’t be sure that any attempts to blast the rock out of our way won’t just bring the whole place down around our ears.” He winced and hurried on, avoiding Denar’s eyes. “Not I think that will happen. And we’d be very careful. Keep it controlled. But I’m afraid that if we don’t go up and see what’s happened, we might get into a bigger mess.”  
“Such as?”  
“Not sure. Maybe there was a coup and Earth has taken over our refugee stations. Maybe there were more nuclear explosions. Maybe Tragooms have moved in and are keeping our people from getting to us.” He shrugged as he wrapped the towel around his neck. “It could be anything but I think we need to act.”  
Denar came slowly to a standstill and carefully lowered his arms. Kyrnis could see he was turning the matter over in his mind.   
“I’ve been thinking the same. But I’m not comfortable with any scenario yet. Our squad may be preparing to rescue us even now. If we can hold out a little longer, the risk of a collapse or of getting overrun by Tragooms, especially when Susannah’s with us, might lessen. We have to think of her safety.” Denar came to sit on a bench opposite Kyrnis. “I know it’s tough on you to be confined this way.”  
“It’s not that bad. If we have to be confined, I couldn’t ask for a better place on Earth.” Kyrnis grinned. “This place is big enough to move, there’s plenty to do, and then there’s our sweet little scholar. It’s practically a resort.” He sobered. “But we can’t pretend that we can stay down here indefinitely. We’ve made all the reasons clear to Susannah. All except one.”  
Denar eyed him sharply. “Except one?”  
“Armageddon, my Dramok. We haven’t told her the whole truth. Why she can’t stay.”  
Denar snagged a towel of his own and rubbed down his bare arms and torso. Kyrnis watched him carefully. He didn’t mean to be disrespectful but he felt he needed to challenge his clan leader on this matter.   
“You think we should tell her? Now?”  
Kyrnis lifted his hands. “It doesn’t seem honest or fair. Don’t you think it’s logical Susannah would be more willing to come with us if she knew the world above was contaminated beyond saving?”  
“Maybe. And maybe she’d be more inclined to stay down here and maintain the Collection as long as she could, so that someday, some species or other will discover Earth’s lost heritage.”  
Kyrnis scowled. “I hadn’t thought of that. She does see it as her duty. She’s a very determined Curator.” He got up and began to pace. Denar tossed him a cleaning cloth. He caught it and bent to clean off some of the equipment he’d used.   
“I want to tell her, Kyrnis. I fully intend to tell her. But I wish to wait until we know more about what’s going on up above. Besides, Tynevek still believes we can win her over first.”  
Kyrnis blurted another question that had been on his mind. “Is Tynevek in love with Susannah?”  
Denar startled. “What?”  
“Do you think Tynevek has fallen in love with her?”  
Denar ran his hands over his hair. “Great suns, I--” He stared at Kyrnis. “I don’t know. I suppose it’s not impossible. He looks happier than I’ve seen him for a while, but then again, we haven’t exactly been on vacation here on Earth, have we? Being with Susannah makes all of us happy.”  
“I suppose. I don’t know how Tynevek might look if he was in love with a woman. This is all new to me.”  
Denar chuckled as he rose and joined Kyrnis in cleaning up. “If you’re thinking I might know, think again, my Nobek. There have been very few females for any of us, at least not females we were allowed to spend time with, or touch.”  
“Or have sex with. I know I love having sex with her. Maybe it’s just because she’s my first Earther but sex with her is like nothing else I’ve ever known.”  
“Would it bother you to know Tynevek loves her?”  
Kyrnis gave this some thought. Would it? Would he feel left out? Betrayed? Jealous?  
“No.” He shook his head as he tossed away his cleaning cloth. “No. I would be happy for our Imdiko.”  
“Even if he could never have her for his Matara?”  
“Do you think Tynevek will ask to clan her?”  
“It’s not unreasonable if he loves her.”  
Kyrnis led the way to the showers. “I think he understands we cannot tie her to us.”  
Denar was silent and the subject shifted.   
“I’m going to try one more thing to boost our signal to transport. We might be back with our group and on our way home to Kalquor very soon if I can make contact.”  
“Be very careful, Kyrnis. We don’t know who may be monitoring our coms. If our messages are intercepted, we might lead trouble directly to the warehouse.”  
Kyrnis blew out a a breath. “I understand. But I have to try. One way or another, we have to reach them. I need to know what’s been happening aboveground.”  
“You have my approval. Just...”  
“Just?”  
“Just, you might wish to be very circumspect with what Susannah might hear or see, too.”  
“I understand, my Dramok.”  
By the time Kyrnis finished showering and drying, Denar was gone. The Nobek stepped into his formsuit and made ready to go to the com station he’d made in their sleeping room. He chose to bypass the station and instead go straight to the Level Three engineering section, where he could do a little more research on the sometimes antiquated and sometimes brilliant Earther com technology. Maybe there was something about Earth environments, radiation, chaos, or not, that might help him find a way to link with his people.  
He worked but his mind was still on his Imdiko and the honey-haired Matara who’d ensorcelled his entire clan. He’d meant what he’d said about being all right with Tynevek being in love with Susannah. His Imdiko was a fine man, a treasured friend and partner, a respected doctor. He was kind almost to a fault and Kyrnis had many times been on the receiving end of both his kindly spirit and his generous love. To see his Imdiko in love was no trial at all. Indeed, the very idea delighted the Nobek. But what did that mean for the rest of Clan Denar?  
He roamed the archives, peeking into texts and vids that illustrated the many ways Earthers had explored communication. There was no doubt in his mind that Earthers and Kalquorians shared a love of technology, despite the obvious gaps between their progress and their cultures. He was enjoying learning about this unique race that seemed to have so much in common with his own.   
But he wasn’t here solely for enjoyment, however much he may have found. He needed to know what had happened to their comrades. If they had been injured in the explosion that had followed their arrival in the storehouse--or worse--he needed to know. They weren’t their own men, his clan. They were representatives of the Empire and they had a job to complete. If something had happened to their Rescue and Evac unit, they needed to know so they could decide what steps to take next. The Earth war and the Earth mission were like nothing that Kalquor had ever before faced. Add in the threat of the pig-faced, opportunistic Tragooms, with their penchant for swooping in on vulnerable areas, and there were multiple bad scenarios to consider.  
He rooted through manuals and books and vid materials and at last came up with a schematic that had been developed for use in mining. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Kalquor had a long history of mining. The two planets were not specifically parallel, but these might suffice in the absence of Kalquorian resources and data.   
He loaded the information onto his handheld and trotted down to their sleeping room. When he stepped inside, the space carried agreeable scents of his clanmates, sex, and the flowery scent of Susannah Talcott.   
He again frowned at the idea that the little scholar didn’t have all the information she needed to make a sound decision on her own behalf. Somehow, it felt wrong to keep back from her the news that her planet had, effectively, been destroyed. He needed to speak with his Imdiko.   
Yet if he knew Tynevek, he was somewhere in the warehouse, enjoying the delights of Susannah, their Matara for the time being. He wasn’t jealous, but he was aroused at the idea of his Imdiko and the lovely Earther wound in each other’s arms, pursuing rich pleasures and delighted intimacy. Their talk would have to wait.   
He turned to the com unit and set to work. This could not wait.  
#  
Tynevek twisted the heavy wire behind the portrait of the Earther Mother and Child, then wound it tightly around the posts that protruded from the frame. He liked this painting, which was old by Earth standards. It depicted a sweet-faced Matara holding out her breast for a plump baby to suckle. He was both aroused by the soft, pale breast and touched by the tender image of the child feeding. He had no difficulty allowing this duality in his views of the picture. He grinned. Breasts were wonderful. Babies were wonderful. Mataras were wonderful.   
He looked up as Susannah came to stand beside him. She had a big smudge of dust on her cheek. He was pleased to note that her face was not so gaunt as it had been when they’d found her down here. He’d kept up his practice of slipping nutritional supplements into her food, boosting her body’s return to a healthy state after who knew how many months she’d been keeping herself just this side of starving. He licked his thumb and wiped the smudge. She smiled.   
“She’s lovely, isn’t she?” Susannah nodded to the painting.   
“She looks so serene. As if her whole world comes down to simply giving her milk to her little boy.”  
She made a restless sound and moved away, her ponytail swinging across her back. She was wearing a dress today, in a deep shade of green that made her peachy skin glow and showed her long, smooth legs. He followed her as she went into the library, where she ran a loving hand over the spines of her beloved books.   
Tynevek took a book off a shelf and thumbed through it. “Fairy tales?”  
She smiled. “Do you have fairies on Kalquor?”  
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. What are they?”  
She took down another book, a much bigger one, full of pictures. She found a page and turned the book to show him. An ethereal young woman, clad in a diaphanous gown, floated across a meadow, impossibly delicate wings carrying her along.   
“These are real beings?” He certainly liked the fairy female’s curvy body in the gossamer dress.   
Susannah laughed. “No, although there are many people who believe in them. And many who wish to believe but don’t.”  
“Which are you?”   
“I’m the wishing sort, I suppose.”  
“So fairy tales are stories about things that fairies do?”  
“Not always. Many fairy tales don’t have fairies in them at all. It’s just what we call certain myths and fantasies that appeal mostly to children but adults enjoy them, too.”  
He took her hand and led her to the big chaise lounge. He sat down and pulled her close. “Show me some of your favorite stories. Ones you read as a child.” He put his arm around her waist and laid the books in her lap.   
She cuddled up to him and opened the smaller book. “Here’s one. Beauty and the Beast?”  
“Yes. Read me some of that, little scholar.”  
She sighed as he stroked her arm and kissed her neck. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” There was laughter in her voice.  
“Absolutely. Read, Susannah.”  
“Yes, Imdiko.”   
Her face was all innocence but he gave her a stern look. “Enough sauce, Matara.”  
She giggled but turned back and began to read from the little book with its many pictures. While she read, he slid the band from her ponytail and let the waterfall of her shining bronze hair fall down over her back. He listened intently as he combed his fingers through her tresses. He knew he’d have her, but he wanted to savor this time of playing and hearing her soft voice as she read the story of how a lovely young woman saved a monstrous beast through the power of her love. An appealing tale.   
“Would you save that beast if you were the beauty in the story?” he whispered as she reached the words “The End.”  
“If I loved him. Of courssse…” He words ended on a sigh as he mouthed the smooth skin of her neck.  
He chuckled as he licked the delicate shell of her ear. “How would you prove to your beast that you loved him?”  
She turned away and set the books on the floor. She had a sweet, dreamy look on her face, and he thought the pretty fairies in the pictures had nothing on her. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down over her on the chaise. He came to her with a growl as his desire flared. She kissed him tenderly. He gazed down at her, watching as desire grew in her eyes, as well.  
“How else would you prove it? Tell me your story. Show me.”  
She took one of his hands. “I’d let him touch my breasts.” Her words were soft as breaths. She placed his hand on one full, delicious breast and arched so it pressed into his hand. “I’d let him do what he liked to them. Hold them. Rub them. Kiss them.” Her voice went softer. “Suck them. Bite them.”  
He sank his mouth to her and sucked a nipple up into his mouth. He pulled hard and she gasped, arching upward. He lifted her up and quickly stripped her, leaving her bare and open to his hands, his mouth. Her breasts were warm and smooth and inviting. He placed his lips to her nipple again and began to torment it with licking and suckling and hard little nips that made her writhe in his arms.   
He lifted his mouth from her. “What else, precious girl? What else would you give your beast?”  
“I’d take his mouth.” He loved the breathless way she spoke. “I’d bite that full, warm lip and suck his tongue in deep, so he could make love to my mouth.”  
“Oh, that sounds nice, beauty.”  
She put her hands to his head and lifted him so she could dart in and take his lower lip, sucking it into her mouth first, then giving it a sharp bite, not quite drawing blood. The quick pain excited him. She released the bite, then opened her lips, inviting him into her warmth.   
He pressed her back, needing to reclaim his dominance. He bore her down into the chaise as he delved deep, his tongue sweeping through the slick confines of her mouth, twining around her tongue, sucking it hard. Then, he began to dart his tongue in and out, in and out, roughly stroking hers.  
Their little scholar was already growing wise in the ways of lovemaking. Her sweet seduction reached something deep inside him. He could envision a future with this woman. After a while, he pulled back and stared into her beautiful, dreamy eyes. “And then? What will you give next?”  
She pressed her lips to his neck. “Whatever he wants. Whatever pleases my beast. My body would be his and he could have whatever he desires.”  
He wanted to howl at her eager whispers and how her body went soft and pliant beneath him. Her legs parted and to his further excitement, she turned her head and bared her slender neck. Her offering was irresistible. He bit her tender flesh, not using his fangs, but tasting and holding and marking her. Claiming her.   
He slid a hand down her satiny curves, over her hip, stroking over the tender joining of hip to thigh. He stroked inward, lower, and found her already wet and warm. A growl of pure lust rumbled through him as he heard her draw in a breath, waiting, excited, for his touch. Waiting, knowing he would bring her pleasure. Trusting him even in her need.  
Had anything made him so proud as when she surrendered to him in this way? Had he ever felt anything so potent? Yes, he had his clanmates, but his Dramok and Nobek were powerful, dominating lovers. And while he was more submissive by nature, it was rare that Tynevek was allowed to release his own natural Kalquorian dominance over a lover. Susannah brought all of it to the fore and when she submitted to him, handing over her body and spirit to him, he was almost swamped by his own response to her vulnerability. He felt his ardor increase to an almost savage level. Long-unmet needs raged to the fore. He grabbed her up and held her high on his chest so he could kiss her savagely.   
“This is what I desire,” he said hotly. “You.”  
He laid her down on the chaise again and spent more time loving her breasts with his mouth, holding her down with a hand lightly woven in her hair, holding her in place. She writhed and sighed, her skin blushing with desire. All the while, his hand plied her feminine flesh, urging her to madness, needing to hear her moans mounting on the air. Needing to feel her try to squirm away, only to go still at his soft snarl. He slicked his fingers with her lovely juices and with a sudden, smooth slide, he entered her pussy and her ass at the same moment.   
Susannah’s moan rose to a wavering cry. Her hands came up, her nails sinking into the flesh of his shoulders, digging deep. As he pumped her, firmly, they began to rake at him, stinging deliciously. He continued to torment her breasts and she was soon panting, begging, groaning. His cocks were hard and full almost to bursting. He would need to take her soon, but not before he’d wrung pleasure from her sweet body, a pleasure that was all for her.   
“Pretty Susannah,” he crooned against her breast. He twisted his fingers inside her sheath and felt for that spot inside her that he knew made her clench and shout. He stroked it and earned her gratifying response. He slowed and stopped. Her little fists pounded at his shoulders.   
“Tynevek, please!”  
He chuckled. She was so close, now. He loved that he knew her body that well. He wanted to see her lovely face when she came, feel her wild delight.   
“All right, my beauty. Come for me, darling girl.”  
He played on her every nerve--clit, pussy, ass, nipple. The keening wail she gave as she released seemed to ring throughout his being, a rush of sheer male pride that made him want to bellow himself. When she was complete, going slack beneath him, he took his time gentling her, murmuring to her even though the glaze of her eyes told him she barely registered his words.   
He wanted to grant her all the time in the world to savor her pleasure, but his own body was demanding its share. He stroked her long hair and let his hand drift lower, to where her nipples were a dark rose from his play.  
Whatever he wants. Whatever pleases my beast. My body would be his and he could have whatever he desires.  
He looked at the beautiful, soft mounds and felt a painful grip of desire in his loins. He unabashedly adored her full, round breasts. Kyrnis had once joked that if he could, Tynevek would decorate their home with breasts. He’d only laughed, adding that Kyrnis would contribute lush female mouths as accent pieces and they’d agreed that Denar would insist on furniture in the shape of women’s shapely asses. Right now, holding a real woman, he knew there was no substitute for Susannah’s gorgeous gifts. A fresh hunger rose in him and he knew what he wanted next. The beast in him growled approval.  
He kissed her, then lifted her up so she was half-sitting against the raised end of the chaise. He rose up and straddled her thighs. He lowered himself over her and gently rubbed his erect cocks over her breasts. She sighed and smiled up at him, her lovely eyes half-closed in sexual lethargy. He leaned down and murmured against her temple.   
“Enclose me in your lovely breasts. Hold me there.”  
She looked hesitant until he laid his larger cock between the satiny mounds. Then she smiled another of her lovely, drowsy smiles and put her hands to the sides of her breasts, pressing inward. As the warmth of her flesh engulfed him, he moaned. It was an act he’d experienced only once before and that female had been blessed with neither Susannah’s lush bounty nor her sweet willingness. It had not been a stellar experience. For her to welcome his hard, needy cock, to nestle it in her satiny hold was a pleasure that almost made him shake. She was the stuff of his fantasies, his own erotic fairy tale, this lovely Earther.   
His natural lubricant eased his way as he slid upward. He was longer than the valley between her breasts could really accommodate, but he didn’t care. If she only took half of him, it would be bliss. He slid down, swelling with increased desire, adding to his aching anticipation. This was a feeling unlike any other, not like being inside her sheath or her backside or her mouth. This was different, softer, and it was a delicious torment all its own. His joy rose with every small movement.   
She gazed up into his eyes. Her look was tender and welcoming. “I like this, my beast. You’re so big and hard and warm against me. I didn’t know anything about this.” She blinked. “Am I doing it right?”  
His rhythm stuttered. “Perfectly,” was all he could manage to say.  
Her smile in return was all delight. His insides clenched as she then lowered her gaze to watch his excited flesh pump in and out of her hold. His smaller cock, slipping up and down over her smooth belly was equally pleasured. She gave a long, humming sound of approval. He swelled again, expanding against the lush, plump flesh she offered so readily.   
By all the ancients, if she asked for his head on a platter right now, he’d hand it over without a moment’s hesitation. She didn’t realize, he suspected, the power she wielded over him—over them all—just by virtue of her eager, feminine responses.   
His eyes closed as a wave of ecstasy surged through him. He had no more thought, only joyful need. He held himself up, his hands braced on the wall above her head and surrendered himself to the elemental glory of pumping his hips, pushing his cock in and out of the delicious, warm haven she created for him.   
His pleasure built and built. He could feel his climax tingling at the base of his spine and speeding toward the tips of his cocks. He pumped faster, eagerly, almost frantic now. He looked down at the beautiful woman still concentrating faithfully on holding him firmly, her lovely breasts enclosing him, and he knew he was lost.   
At the last second before he erupted, he placed his hand over the tip of his cock, shielding her face as he began to spurt. Suns burst in his mind as he lost all control. He spasmed and groaned and writhed. His sweet partner moaned encouragement, never once letting her hands release their hold at her sides.   
He was shaking when he finished and it was a long while before he could finally move again. He slid his cock free of her flesh and gave her a long, tender kiss. He reached for his formsuit and used it to tenderly, gently, wipe his seed from her body.   
“Thank you for...for covering…” She colored up, shyly.   
He kissed her again, swiftly. “I have no wish to ejaculate on your beautiful face, Matara. Even if you wished it, it would be difficult for me. Some like it, but to me it is disrespectful.”  
“You liked the rest of it, though?”  
He tossed aside his formsuit and gathered her up, laughing and hugging her close. “Are you fishing for compliments, beauty?”  
“No. Maybe.” She peeked at him from under her lashes. “I’ve never done that before. Well, you know I haven’t. I just wanted to be sure.”  
He chuckled. “If I had liked it any more, you would have had to call my clanmates to haul my unconscious body off of you. I’ve been dreaming about having you that way since I first saw you naked.” He stroked her hair. “You held me so perfectly. You never let me go. Thank you for making your beast very, very happy.”  
He scooted around so he could lie down with her on his chest. His legs dangled off the end of the chaise, but he didn’t mind. Susannah was such a sweet weight draped over his body and he was so sated, nothing could bother him, he thought.   
“You were wonderful, precious one.” He hugged her tight. “I’m happy to be your beast.”  
She lifted her head and smiled. “You were very beastly. You wouldn’t let me come and then you made me come so hard I saw stars.” She waved a hand in the air as she was brushing away a swarm of stars. “Fairy tales can be fun.”  
He smiled. She was still under the euphoric influence of their lovemaking. He was happy for her. His sweet scholar deserved to float.   
“You did the same to me.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then tilted up her chin to look at her face. “Hmm. Such blushing cheeks and red, swollen lips. You look like a fairy who’s been very naughty.”   
Her delicious laughter came bubbling up. “I think you crushed my wings.”  
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll get out that old steam iron from the Domestics Chamber and press them for you.”  
“Ouch! They need fluffing, not flattening!”  
They snickered and he tickled her sides, making her shriek and wiggle on top of him. He smiled into her eyes, enjoying seeing his studious little partner letting go and having fun.   
“You’re a treasure, my Susannah.”   
“Ooh. And I just bet you’d love to go on a treasure hunt, wouldn’t you?” She wriggled against him suggestively.  
He threw his head back and laughed. “Let me have a minute to recover, my indefatigable fairy.”  
She went into gales at the expression. “Indefatigable fairy! Oh, I like how that sounds!”  
He hugged her again. “You’re so funny. You’re going to be a delightful mother, my sweet. A fine Matara.”   
“No, I’m not. ” Her giggles were subsiding into grins. “No children for me.”  
His stomach gave a sudden lurch. “What do you mean?”  
She shrugged. “I mean, I’m never going to have children. I don’t want them.”  
He scowled, hardly able to comprehend her words. Had sex addled his brain? He stopped to think. To gather his feelings.   
He spoke slowly, carefully. “Sweetling, you may be pregnant even now. You’ve had sex with all of us. Many times.”  
“Not possible.” She pressed soft little kisses to his chest. “I take anti-fertility drugs. Noxovul, the strongest there is.”  
“You will want children someday, yes?” He could hear the slight tremor in his voice, even as he tried to keep his tone light. It angered him to betray his need.   
She shook her head. “No. I’m not going to bring a child into this world with all this war and all this crazy religious nonsense. I’m perfectly happy to stay right here, just as I am, child-free.”  
He felt rage come boiling up his spine, overtaking his reason. He set her aside and left the chaise. If he didn’t get away, he’d say something he’d regret. He grabbed his formsuit and his boots and fled the chamber. Her heard her call his name, her voice surprised and then hurt.   
He didn’t care. He didn’t look back. He ran for the stairs.


	10. Chapter Ten

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Nine

“What the hell’s happened to our Imdiko?” Kyrnis turned to Denar as they sat at the kitchen table. “Two days ago, he was fine. Now he’s gripey—”  
“Grouchy,” Denar interjected.  
“Grouchy and gripey and twice now he’s avoided coming to bed until we’re all asleep. Why is he so pissing off against us?”  
“I think it’s pissed off at us, but never mind.” Denar frowned into his mug as if the chai inside would tell him what was happening with their clanmate. “He had sex with Susannah the other day. Good sex. I heard them.”  
Kyrnis nodded knowingly. “She screams so nicely when she comes.”   
“It wasn’t too long after her happy-screaming, that Tynevek came down with his grouchiness. But good sex wouldn’t put our Imdiko out of temper. Susannah’s breasts alone practically make him sing.” He shrugged. “If I made him angry, I’m sorry, but I don’t know when or how I did it.”  
Kyrnis raised his hands. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t pissed him off against us. I haven’t even taken my revenge on the two of you for that damned vid you made of Susannah and me.”  
“We’re going to have to talk to him. Secrets in the clan are bad.”  
The two of them cornered Tynevek that night after Susannah had gone down to take her shower. Denar looked at his longtime friend and clanmate and saw anger and sadness warring in the Imdiko’s eyes.   
“You’re upset,” he said without preamble. “Tell us why. Is it something we’ve done?”  
“I don’t want to talk about it. It’s my problem, not yours.” Tynevek stared down at his hands, avoiding their eyes.  
Kyrnis scowled. “What kind of crap is that?”   
“Kyrnis.” Denar’s voice was stern. Their Nobek was smart, strong, and unfailingly loyal. Tact, however, had never been one of his strengths.  
Kyrnis was immediately contrite. “I’m sorry, Imdiko. But if one member of the clan has a problem, then we all have a problem. You know this.”  
Tynevek shook his head. “I don’t want to spoil it for you.”  
“Spoil what for us?” Denar eyed his clanmate sharply.   
Tynevek resisted. Denar didn’t really want to pull rank, but he would if he had to. Kyrnis was right. They were a clan and clanmates shared both good fortune and bad.   
“Tynevek.” He tapped his Imdiko’s knee. “I’m tired. Don’t make us beat it out of you.”  
Tynevek sighed, then glowered. “She refuses to have children.”  
“Susannah?” Kyrnis shook his head. “Sorry, who else would she be?”  
Denar felt a sudden chill inside himself. “She told you this?”   
“Yes. The other day. I told her she was going to be a wonderful Matara someday and she said she was never going to have children. The world is too harsh and crazy for children, she believes.”  
“Shit.” Denar knew Susannah had touched a nerve with his sensitive Imdiko.   
“She is sterilized?” Kyrnis was clearly distressed. “I thought that was a punishment for Earther women who were too sexual for their husbands’ comfort.” He said the last words like a bad taste in his mouth.  
Tynevek’s eyes were almost black with emotion. “She might as well be, but it is her choice. She’s on strong anti-fertility meds. Noxovul. I know this drug. It is very, very powerful. She probably hasn’t menstruated in years.”  
Kyrnis growled. “Susannah is so smart. Why would she do that to her body?”  
Denar looked at Tynevek. His expression spoke of deep anguish. Denar’s heart constricted at the sight. It looked like his clanmate was being torn in two. He cleared his throat.  
“Have you fallen in love with her, my Imdiko?”  
Tynevek shook his head. “I don’t think so. But she is so special and beautiful. I thought she might be the one for us.”  
Denar stared at the far wall, considering. “It’s hard for us to understand. Here we are, watching our race die out, and everything in us clamors for reproduction. But for Earthers, it’s not the same. They take their fertility for granted. Until recently, contraception was a choice for all women, especially because their population was growing too rapidly to keep up with their planet’s resources.”  
“I know. But I can’t accept it.” Tynevek’s voice was tight. “I won’t.”  
“Is that why you haven’t been sleeping with us?” Kyrnis ventured.   
Tynevek nodded. “I can’t be near her and not want to be inside her, to make love with her. But I can’t stand the idea that she will never be a real Matara. I don’t want to touch her, knowing this.”  
“Will you stay away from our bed indefinitely?”   
Denar’s heart filled with sadness. He and Tynevek had shared a bed for more than ten years. The idea of his adored Imdiko not being by his side made him feel hollow. He looked at Kyrnis and saw the same sorrow and hurt in his face.   
“I know,” Tynevek said plaintively. “I hate this. But until I know what to do with my feelings about her, I can’t be there. And I can’t ask you two to kick her out of bed. I’d never ask that of you two. I know what a delight she is and how good it is to have a female. You need to have this time with her.”  
Denar drew a long breath. “Have you spoken with Susannah about this?”   
“No. She was so sure, Denar. So completely determined. There’s nothing I can do to change her mind. Nothing I can do that wouldn’t violate both the laws of Kalquor and my own ethics. Or, make her hate us more for taking her away from here.”  
Kyrnis’ fists clenched, but his eyes were sad. “There may be a week or more before our unit gets here. That’s a long time for us to do without you.”   
“I am sorry.” Tynevek looked at each of them in turn. “You’ll do fine. You have Susannah. Please, I mean it, my mates. Enjoy her. She’s a rare gem.”  
He rose and left the room. Denar scrubbed at his face. “Well, this is a development.”   
“We don’t have to actually sleep with Susannah. Each of us has had her in different places around the storehouse. Perhaps she can sleep apart. Then Tynevek can be with us in the sleeping room at night.”  
“It’s a thought. But I’m not sure Tynevek would accept that. He knows what a joy it is to have her with us when we sleep.”  
“And as our caregiver, he’ll argue that we need her with us. We’ve all been saying how much better rested we’ve felt lately.” He smiled. “A lot of that is due to finally getting regular sex with a female.”  
“I know what you mean, though, my Nobek. Being able just to smell her hair or pull her close at night is a deep satisfaction. Tynevek is too smart to believe we’d be happy to give that up.”  
“But he’s our clanmate. Not sharing a woman? Not sharing a bed? That feels wrong.”  
“I know.”  
Denar stood and roamed the room, trying to think how to solve this new wrinkle in their Susannah problem. Kyrnis was right: it did feel wrong, almost disloyal, to allow Tynevek to sleep alone while they shared a bed and a woman without him. At the same time, he couldn’t help sensing that suddenly banishing Susannah from their bed would hurt her, too.   
He also doubted anything would change the Curator’s mind about children. It was one thing to persuade her to leave the storehouse. It was quite another to impose their values on her body. The Earthers in power had already done enough of that sort of crap on their own. He wasn’t about to begin acting like them.  
“Do you mind that she doesn’t want to have children?”  
Denar looked away, pretending to study a portrait on the wall. “No. Do you?”  
“Not as much as Tynevek. Losing all of his fathers in one accident was a big blow to him. They were fine men who raised him with great care and love. It’s no wonder he wants to be one of them.”  
“But wouldn’t you reject Susannah because she didn’t want children?”  
Kyrnis was silent for a long time. “No. I don’t think I would. Because honestly, Denar? I have fallen in love with her. I think I’d want her even if she declared she wanted to birth a litter of puppies.”  
Denar froze. “You love her?”  
Kyrnis nodded. “She’s like no other. I’m not pushing to clan her. That’s a big decision and now we know Tynevek will never accept her. But I wanted you to know.”  
Love! Children! Damn, but he didn’t want to even think about children. Ever.  
Denar sat down on the lounger. Things were getting more complicated by the minute. It was his job as Dramok to sort this out but he wasn’t seeing any way this could play out in which damage wasn’t done to people he cared about.  
How was he going to make it through this week before an explosion—this time from inside the storehouse—rocked them all?

#

“Where is Tynevek?”   
Susannah looked around the sleeping room. Kyrnis and Denar had been energetic and inventive in their lovemaking the night before, binding her in hover cuffs and taking their own sweet, wicked time, tormenting her body until she was begging and shrieking for release. She’d been deliciously weary once they’d removed the restraints and gathered her close to pet and admire her. She’d sailed right off to sleep, their praises still murmuring in her ears, the warmth of their bodies lulling her. Now it was morning and there was no sign the doctor had ever joined them.   
“Working late,” Denar told her. “He’s using your resources to do more research on Earther medicine.”  
“Oh. I miss him.”  
“We do, too.” Kyrnis got up and pulled her to her feet. “But the day is wasting. You and I have maintenance and baking to do today.” He gave her a spank. “To the showers, recruit.”  
She giggled and hustled, covering her bare bottom protectively as he chased her to the bath. When they came up for breakfast, she saw Tynevek had already eaten and gone about his tasks. She sat while the other men fed her, but she was watchful. They were keeping a secret from her. It surely had something to do with the Imdiko, but she wasn’t sure what that might be.   
He’d run from her the other day, after they had played Beauty and the Beast together. She’d been so drugged with the languor of their lovemaking that she’d fallen asleep almost as soon as he’d left the chaise where they’d lain. Her memory had been foggy, except to know that they’d had wonderful sex. Had she said or done something to anger him? Was he ill? Did he suddenly decide she wasn’t desirable after all?  
As she went about her maintenance rounds, she thought about it some more. She’d become Kalquorian-obsessed. She wanted to look at them, be near them, touch them, almost every minute of every day. The only times when she did not have a clanmate or three on the brain was when she was deeply immersed in research or performing complicated storehouse tasks.   
Sex was heavenly. She’d known it must be or so much wouldn’t haven’t been written and sung about it. So many paintings and pics and vids dealt with it and she’d even seen a few rare examples of what had been deemed pornography during the purges of the last century. But now she really understood why humans had focused on it so much through the ages. It was just plain fantastic. A sweet drug, a thrill ride, a comforter, a stress-reliever, a bonding rite, not to mention a means of reproduction. It was laden with meaning and emotion and biology, all at once.   
Sex with Kalquorians was mind-stealing. True, she had nothing to compare it with, but she knew sex with multiple partners at once was a serious crime on Earth. Her romance novels were also all about love and sex between just two people, period, not multiples. There was also the matter of two penises per one male. That was certainly outside the realm of regular Earther sex. Still, she suspected that with their uninhibited, unabashed joy of the act, Kalquorians were, in general, sexual beasts.   
Her Kalquorians were certainly sexual beasts. No matter how hard they worked and how hard they exercised and played, they were never too tired to couple with her every night and often during the day, in addition. They were tireless, big time sex fans, and they were making her one, as well.   
Yet there was more. They were sneaking into her heart despite her attempts to keep this time in perspective. When she woke and saw them beside her in the mornings, her heart leapt. When she watched them diving and racing in the pool, it wasn’t just their gorgeous, naked bodies that drew her attention. She also watched their close friendship, their sense of fun. Their lust for life. Even though they made it clear they were dominant in bed, the rest of the time they talked with her, consulted her, respected her, shared their thoughts. They were so caring of her and of each other, despite their rough play and teasing. She’d been alone in the storehouse for a long time and until they had come, she’d never really felt at ease. She was prepared to protect herself, but it wasn’t the same. Since they’d been here, she’d felt as if no matter what happened, they’d protect her. She wasn’t alone.  
That wasn’t good.  
Susannah shook her head as she walked back to her own room. She was growing too attached to the Kalquorians. If she didn’t back away, her heart would never withstand their departure. She would spend her days in lost in loneliness and grief.   
Maybe it was good that Tynevek was rejecting her. She was already too fond of the beautiful Imdiko, with his kindly ways and his astonishing, athletic body. He’d always treated her with the utmost respect and care, even when she was fearful of him and his kind. Even when she defied them all about leaving the storehouse. His lovemaking was often so sweet and tender she wanted to melt and become a part of him.  
Oh, yes, she was in danger of having her heart broken. Yes, perhaps it was best that at least one of them had already pulled away from her. One less alien to make her heart ache when they said goodbye. She should embrace it for the relief it brought. She was going to see if she could stand to sleep alone in her own bed tonight. She needed to get re-accustomed to solitude. She didn’t relish the prospect.  
Sure, she could do that. Just as soon as she figured out how to get past the hunger she had for the perfection of having three Kalquorians at once. Her hunger for every member of Clan Denar.

#

Things came to a head the following day. She was alone with Tynevek for the first time in days as they worked in the . He had smiled at her when he’d joined her and she’d relaxed. Maybe he didn’t hate her.   
“This fossil reminds me of xhotsizinia lizards.” He held up the sample he was helping to catalog. “We have them near our home on Kalquor. They like to lay their eggs in small cracks in the mountain face.”  
“Is your house near the mountains?”  
He smiled. “Our home is inside the mountains.”  
“Inside? In caves?” She paused to consider. “But you’re so advanced. Why don’t you have houses?”  
“Kalquor is beautiful and we love to be out in nature whenever we can.” He handed the fossil to her so she could use the micro-blaster to delicately clean the specimen. “We’ve deliberately chosen to limit the number of buildings that might obscure the landscape or change it unnaturally. We have lots of mountains and we’ve always been a mining planet, so we build inside the mountains.”  
She blinked. “But isn’t it dark? And cold?”  
He smiled. “Is it dark and cold here in the storehouse, Curator?”  
Sometimes, she almost said. But not when the clan was around. “Not really. As you’ve seen, we have lots of artificial light and vids to simulate day and night.”  
“So do we. We also have large reflective pipes built from the outside so that natural light is conducted into the interiors, even on the deepest levels.” He used a small, soft brush to clean another lizard specimen. “We also build many homes with balconies that open to the outside. On the cliffs. It’s very beautiful.”  
She shook her head. “I would love to see that. Kyrnis says your oceans are an emerald green with pink sand. Does the pink color come from minerals in your soil or on the sea bottom? Or maybe from plant or animal life in the area?”  
He stopped and turned to face her, beaming. “So much to learn, eh, little scholar? What a feast it will be when you get there.”  
Cold descended over her and she turned away. She busied herself documenting the nearest specimen. “I’m not going with you to Kalquor.”  
“I think you’ll find my Dramok has other ideas, Susannah.” His voice was kind but he sounded very convinced.   
“He’s not my Dramok.”  
“No, but he is in charge. You must understand that.”  
“Why doesn’t he understand how important it is for me to stay here?” She inched toward him and laid a hand on his arm. “Do you know what the Collection is to me? It’s my clan, Tynevek.”  
He frowned in puzzlement. “Now I don’t understand.”  
“When you three were clanned, you became connected in a special way. You look out for each other, you take care of each other, you put the clan’s needs before your own, yes?”  
“Yes.”  
“That’s what the Collection, the Project, is to me. I made a vow and I am connected to it in a special way. You know this. I look out for it, I take care of it, I put its needs before my own. Don’t you see?”  
His big hand cupped her cheek. She longed to lean into the warmth but she held herself back. This was too important.  
“No, beauty, you’re the one who doesn’t see. In the clan, I care for the others and they care for me. These artifacts cannot return the care you lavish on them. It is a closed track, going only one way. And that’s not how a young, healthy, intelligent woman should live. You deserve someone to share your life. Someone who can give back when your wondrous, compassionate heart and brilliant mind showers them with your gifts.”  
“But I can’t give up and just walk away! There’s too much at stake. It’s far bigger than just me or what I want.”  
He nodded. “I can feel how hard this is for you. But you’re strong enough to face this change. You’ve faced far worse and come through stronger than before, yes?”  
“What if someone else came down to stay with me here? Then I wouldn’t be alone.”  
His face and eyes, so friendly and warm, went suddenly hard and cold. She drew back, shocked.  
“Who would you have come down here with you?”  
“Maybe there’s another Project agent out there somewhere. Another man who’d be able to protect us—”  
“Not possible.” He cut her off with a voice like a knife. “No one else will be permitted to be down here with you.”  
She was startled at his sudden vehemence. He all but spat the words. She watched in astonishment as he moved off and pointed a finger at her. He growled, brows drawn.  
“No one else, Susannah. Do you understand that? No one.” He turned and headed toward the door.  
“Tynevek, wait!”   
He left. She slumped back as the door hissed shut behind him.   
She couldn’t fathom him. For days on end, he was ignoring her, refusing to touch her or even look at her. Now, just as he was beginning relax and speak to her, suddenly he was angry again, yelling at her and then walking out in a rage. What was it about her that made him so mad? She wanted to have him smile at her again. To kiss and hold her and laugh with her.  
Her heart ached. Things were getting worse. This separation was going to tear her to pieces.

#

Tynevek reported to his clanmates later in the day. “She’s asking to have someone else come down and join her here. A man, who can protect her and the storehouse.”  
Denar hissed. “Another male?”  
“She can’t mean it,” Kyrnis growled.   
“She does. She’s serious.” Tynevek prowled their quarters. “She compared the Collection to a clan. She believes if she abandons it, she’ll be a failure and a traitor to her vows.”  
“A clan?” Denar shook his head. “She’s too intelligent to make that analogy.”  
“She’s not using her intellect,” Kyrnis said. “She’s using her heart. Her big, soft, loyal heart.” He clenched his fist. “But heart or no heart, I’ll be damned if I’ll let some other man come and live with her.”  
“We can’t let her stay down here, my Dramok.” Tynevek’s hands were uncharacteristically clenched, as if ready to fight.  
Denar ground his teeth. “She’s making me crazy. She’s stubborn and intractable and naive and she doesn’t see what she’s asking is insane!”  
“I say we clan her,” Kyrnis rumbled.   
Denar shook his head. “She has to want to be clanned and right now do you really think that’s likely?”  
“Then what?”  
Denar rose, drawing himself up, chin lifting. “It’s time to stop babying her. I have the power to remove her and I’ll be damned if I’ll let her usurp that authority.”  
He was out the door in a flash.   
Kyrnis looked at Tynevek. “Should we go after him?”  
Tynevek shook his head. “He won’t hurt her.”  
Kyrnis bit his lip and sat back in his chair. “If he disciplines her, she might be damaged. Not physically but emotionally.”  
“I think she’ll be all right.” Tynevek began to circle the room again. “But if his method doesn’t work, we have to come up with some way to lure her out of here.”  
“What lure could possibly compare to the Collection?”  
Tynevek looked at him, startled. Then, slowly, light began to brighten in his eyes.   
“Kyrnis, my beloved Nobek, you are a genius!”  
Kyrnis waved a dismissive hand. “Old news. What’s up?”


	11. Chapter Eleven

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter 11

 

Susannah stood her ground and watched the angry Dramok circle the gallery. The portrait collection stared at him from their frames. She wished they’d come to her defense against the stalking giant with the thunder cloud expression on his striking face. But paintings weren’t going to speak. She had to speak for herself. For the Project.  
“It’s no use, Denar. You must understand that I made a vow to preserve our culture, our knowledge, the story of who we are. The Project was founded decades ago. Men and women have lived and died to create and protect the Collection. Some of them were caught and tortured. None of them gave up the nature and location of the storehouses, and some of them were put to death for it.” Her eyes stung with tears. “I can’t betray that vow. I won’t leave the storehouse.”  
He paced some more. She could see he was weighing what she said, but it didn’t lessen his anger. He stopped at last and stood before her, his eyes ink-dark with passion.  
“I understand what the Project means to you, Susannah. I respect your loyalty and your commitment. What you’ve done here is astonishing and I know your heart holds it dear.” He raised a hand and swept it around the space. “But I won’t let you stay here.”  
Her fists and jaw clenched. “You just don’t see—”  
He cut her off. “I see enough, Susannah. I see you clinging to a life that is no longer here. I see you holding on to a shared vision that has been forever altered. That’s no longer shared. I see your face light up when we talk about traveling in space, going to other worlds and seeing things you can never see if you stay down here.”  
“But—”  
“Hear me out. You’re a young, intelligent, beautiful, desirable woman with a lust for life, Susannah. How long do you think you can live, suppressing that fire in you, before you run mad? How long will you last, living alone with just the memories of others? A woman like you needs challenge, and love, and a way of giving her gifts to the world, right now, in the flesh, and not in some far off, unknown future to generations unborn.”  
His eyes flared but his voice went softer. Somehow, that made it more threatening.   
“Did you think you had fooled us, Susannah? Did you think that when you appeared in our sleeping room, naked and asking for sex, that we didn’t know what was going on inside you? You turned to three alien beings to introduce you to sex. You gave the precious gift of your first time to men who are not even members of your species. I’m not complaining—making love to Susannah Talcott is by far my favorite activity in this or any other world—but admit it, little scholar, didn’t you come to us at first because you knew we might be your only chance to have sex, ever?”  
She opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t. It was the truth, whether she liked to admit it or not. She had turned to them out of fear that she would die without ever experiencing sex, or at least grow too old to hope. They had shown her so much more than just sex and she couldn't imagine every sharing that with anyone else. It could never be as good, she simply knew it.   
Still, she had to stay.  
He was so close she could feel the heat pouring off his chest. She wanted to step back but she was helpless to move. He was toweringly, mesmerizingly angry.  
“I will not leave you down here, alone.” His voice was hot with fury. “And no, I will not allow anyone else down here with you. I’ve been bowing to Tynevek’s request not to force you. That’s over. You will not resist us anymore. Like I told you the first day we were here: if I have to, I will tie you up and haul you out of here over my shoulder. I’ll have Tynevek give you an injection and when you wake up, we’ll be far out in space!”  
Her hands fisted at her sides. “You wouldn’t dare!”  
“Try me.”   
“You don’t understand--”  
“No, you don’t understand. I can’t allow you to stay down here.”  
“That is my choice to make! You are not in charge here, and if I want to go on living in my home, I will. You’re just being a bully!"  
His hand flashed out and grabbed her wrist. “Be silent!”  
She flinched. He softened his grip but he didn’t let go. “Listen to me. I am more interested in your life than in all these things you hold so dear. Not one of the objects in this storehouse is more precious than that. Not one work of art is as valuable as a strand of your beautiful hair or your lovely eyes. No old book can match the wonder of your breathing or your heartbeat. The whole of this Collection is nothing in comparison with the miracle of you!”  
She swallowed, trembling. He went on, his voice dark with feeling. “And not just you, the woman we love. Any living being, with blood in their veins and a beating heart is more precious than all these things. When it comes down to a choice, I will choose life, here and now, every time.”  
“And I choose to live here!”  
“But you’re not going to be living here! You’re going to be dying!”  
She stared, flummoxed. “What are you saying?”  
“Earth has been destroyed! Nuclear explosions have gone off in all the major population centers of your world. Fully seventy-five percent of the population is dead. There is no future. No life!”  
She wrenched her wrist away and stepped back, her whole being suddenly cold. “You’re crazy. You’re just saying that to get me to come with you.”  
He stood rooted, his gaze never wavering. “Test me, Susannah. Ask my clan. Go up above and see for yourself as soon as we can get through the rocks. Your world will be uninhabitable in three years’ time.”  
She kept backing way, sickness growing inside her. She fought tears from welling up. “Why would you say anything so absurd? So cruel?”  
“I have to get through to you! I didn’t want to tell you like this but I’ve run out of time. You’re running out of time. Radiation will begin leaking through the soil, into this place. It's leaking even now. No one is coming to deliver supplies. No one is coming to join you. There is looting and destruction everywhere on Earth. Gangs roam wild up above. Tragooms. It’s chaos.”  
“No!”  
“Susannah, listen--”  
“Stop it, Denar!”  
“I’m telling you the truth--”  
“No! No more!”  
She turned and fled through the door to the central stairs. Her feet clattered and her mind whirled as she raced for the lowest level, for her own room. She had to get away from him. Away from the clan. They had tricked her. Lied to her. Played her for a fool.  
She shoved through the doors of each level as she ran. When she reached the bottom, she ran for her room, burst in, and slammed her hand on the button to close the door. She stood, shaking, just staring as it swung to, closing her in, safe from angry, lying aliens.   
Oh, she knew they could get the door open if they wanted. She was the idiot who’d showed them every plan and control in the entire storehouse system. Even if she hadn’t, they were strong enough to just break it down. If they wanted to get to her, drug her, drag her out, they could.  
She didn’t care. She was alone for now and she was seething with so many emotions she felt like a bare power cable, surging and writhing. Betrayal. Humiliation. Hurt. Anger. Sorrow. They chased each other around and around her mind.   
Nuclear explosions. What rot. They wouldn’t be here if the world above had been annihilated. She wasn’t sure why they were lying, why they wanted to lure her out of the storehouse but they were willing to say anything, do anything to take her out. Maybe they were just what the government had been claiming: sexual predators, taking women for their own uses. Maybe they were spies from their government or from hers, sent to take over the Collection. Maybe they were slavers. But they were not her friends, as she had begun to believe. Not her loves.  
She had believed in them. Trusted them. That was what stung. She had been willing to give herself to them and to allow them access to every part of the storehouse. True, they could have taken what they wanted by force, but how much easier to get the Curator to deliver everything--including sex--of her own volition! She’d been monumentally stupid.   
She’d handed over her heart, as well. She knew that now. She’d fallen in love with them and while she knew it would be a horrible wrench when they left, she’d been willing to risk it because, well, because she was a naive little geek who’d never been in love before. Never been really kissed. Never had a boyfriend. She didn’t resent her life below ground, and she didn’t pity herself for it, but they weren’t entitled to take advantage of her inexperience. She paced back and forth in the small space. She wished she could go to the running track or the pool and expend some of the energy that was buzzing through her, but she didn’t want to chance running into one or all of them. She’d stay here. She thought of Kyrnis and Tynevek. She knew they would side with their Dramok over anyone else. She’d learned that much about the loyalty of Kalquorian clans. She just hadn’t expected they’d allow Denar to make up stories and threaten her and...and...  
She sank onto her bed.   
And break her heart.   
Funny, friendly Kyrnis with his wicked mouth and his wild edge. Beautiful Tynevek, who worried over what she ate and who listened so carefully when she talked. She could understand Denar being tough and domineering but not the Nobek and the Imdiko.   
Then again, maybe she was more idiotic than she thought. The friendly pair had softened her up, led her on. They were just enjoying themselves while they waited for Denar to lower the boom and then drag her out of here to whatever fate was waiting for her above. She’d been so besotted with them, they could have told her they were knights of the Round Table and she would have bought into their lies.   
There was nowhere she could turn. Even if she went up to the surface and told the authorities that Kalquorians had taken advantage of her, she would still be blamed and punished for contact with enemies, with males. It would also likely lead to the authorities discovering the storehouse. She wasn’t going to allow that to happen. The world above was at war, anyway. Where could she go, alone?  
Were they at war? Denar had made it sound as if it was over and Kalquor had won. But his claims were ridiculous. Tears began to sting her eyes, clog her throat. What was so important that Denar would resort to such a ludicrous fiction as nuclear bombs all over the world? Why would Kalquor bomb Earth when it wanted Earth’s females? There were no other threats from other worlds that she knew of, so it couldn’t have been anyone but Kalquor who dropped bombs on her home world. But then again, that made absolutely no sense. He must really think she was stupid.   
She bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. Maybe he wasn’t far wrong.   
“Oh, God,” she groaned. It felt like Denar had actually hit her in the chest, her heart hurt so much. Her tears overflowed, slipped between her fingers. She let them come. There was nothing else to do. She gave in to it all.  
She woke some time later, her face hot and sticky from tears. She looked around, bewildered for a second. Then she heard a sound at her door. She froze. Were they coming in?  
A soft knock. “Susannah?”  
Tynevek. She sat up and brushed away the last of her tears and the sleep from her eyes.  
“I know you’re angry. I just wanted you to know I brought you some food. I’m going to leave it right outside your door.”  
She heard a scrape and then retreating footsteps. She rose and shook back her hair. Food, huh? Weren’t they afraid her food was contaminated? “I’ll get Tynevek to give you an injection,” Denar had said.   
“Oh no, you don’t.” She was hungry but she wasn’t taking any chances. They would not trick her again. She looked around her little room, glanced at the still vid of her parents on her dresser. Mama had died down here. So had Papa. So had Lena and all the rest. She couldn’t give up on them now. She needed a plan. She settled in to think.  
The next morning, she got up early and was in the kitchen, preparing her breakfast when the clan came in. “Good morning.” She kept her voice polite but cool.   
“Let me help.” Kyrnis was at her side in an instant.   
“No.” She raised a hand, keeping him back. “I’m fine. Let me get my meal and then we need to talk.”  
She glanced at the overcooked omelet and the singed toast and winced. Kyrnis was such a good cook, she’d gotten spoiled. Oh, well. She would have to get used to cooking again. Chin up, she turned and carried her plate and her mug of tea to the table and took a seat. Slowly, with wary looks, the clan took their places.   
“I’ve decided you’re right.”  
“Right?” Denar’s voice was carefully neutral.   
“Yes. There is no reason to stay down here anymore. If there have been nuclear detonations, then I will be at risk.”  
“And?”   
She sipped her tea, then softly set it down. “And so I’ve decided to go with you when you leave.”  
The silence that followed her words had height, width, and depth. She took a bite of her sad little omelet and chewed, slowly, as the three men registered shock.   
“You have?” Denar studied her face. “You’ve changed your mind?”  
“I have. I’ve been hanging onto to this place and it’s time for me to move on. I don’t know where to go, though.”  
Tynevek looked to Denar, who nodded. The Imdiko turned his chair to face her more fully. “It’s as we told you on the first day we arrived. We are a rescue and evacuation unit. We are on assignment to find and help as many people as possible and get them to safety, whether on Kalquor or on other worlds or even Earth’s colonies.”  
“Why?”  
The Imdiko blinked. “Why?”  
“Yes. Why bother rescuing Earthers?”  
Kyrnis’ leonine face was stern and still. “Kalquor has won the war, Susannah. Earth is now ours. You are our people.”  
She frowned. “The war is over?”   
“It is.” Denar kept his eyes steady on her face. “It was not the way we wanted it to end, but that’s how it is. We hate what happened to Earth and our part in it. We won’t abandon our responsibilities.”  
“So that’s what you were doing when you found me? Tending to your responsibilities.”  
“Yes.” Kyrnis sat ramrod straight in the chair that was sadly small for his big body. “We told you the truth. We made a vow to preserve the people of Earth. To rescue as many as possible.”  
“Women, you mean.”  
“Not just women.” Tynevek’s eyes were sad. “Everyone. Anyone who is left after the Armageddon.”  
“Armageddon. The last battle.” It was a heinous way to win a war, no matter what they did afterward. Dropping bombs and then rushing in, posing as saviors. Armageddon, indeed.  
“We have the right to take you from here in the name of the Empire.” Denar spoke slowly and calmly. “We don’t want to take anyone off Earth if they refuse to go. But we have a duty to protect everyone we can. Which is why we won’t let you stay underground, Susannah.”  
“You said there was chaos up above. Tragooms and worse.”  
“I did. There is. I’m very glad you’ve decided to come up and go to the refugee center. We can protect you there. If you waited, and came up alone, I’m afraid of what might happen to you. We might never find you.”  
“I see. So you all you want is for me to go to a refugee camp?”  
“It is where we can best help Earthers. While Kalquor is working on containing the radiation, it’s clear that it is just a stop-gap measure. The explosions were too vast and deadly. At the refugee centers, we have clean food and water and places to stay until people have sorted out what they want to do. We have medical facilities.” Tynevek played with a fork. “I would like to see you safe, Susannah. You need to get away from Earth.”  
They just wanted her to get processed as one of the casualties of war. They just wanted her to give up her world, her life, her purpose.  
Still, she smiled. She’d follow her plan. “I understand. I’ll go.”  
“Susannah, I--”   
A beeping came from Kyrnis’ belt, where he’d hooked a bulked-up com unit. He glanced at his clanmates, then pulled the unit off, thumbing the link button in one motion.  
A flow of crackling noises intermixed with a man’s deep voice came through the speaker. Kyrnis took the com and bolted for the stairs, heading down to his bigger com unit, Susannah guessed. She looked at the other two. “You should go with him. It’s probably important.”  
They rose but Tynevek gave her an anxious glance over his shoulder as they moved to the central stairway. She smiled again and then they were gone.   
“Well, how convenient. Just when I say I’m going with them, their friends call to say they’re on their way.” She wouldn't have to wait much longer.  
She shoved aside her plate, the omelet cold, her heart feeling colder. From what they had said, they were barely upset that their troops had bombed her planet. If, indeed, they had. She held no love for her government or the tainted culture they'd created, but she loved her home world. She'd worked all her life to give the Collection back to her people. She had to be strong.  
She went to the sink and sent the remains of her breakfast into the refuse and recycle systems. She shook her head.   
Part One of her plan was in place.

#

Later that day, Kyrnis moved swiftly, securing the materials needed to help dig their way out to meet their rescue team. He’d been working on a sonic penetration device, refining it so it could make almost surgical cuts in the rock, hoping to disturb as little earth as possible. It would help limit the chances that they would bring down another major slide or trigger a full cave-in. It was risky but the alternatives were explosives or brute force digging. Neither appealed. According to the communications he’d had so far, the outside team had some tools for earth moving and digging, but they needed to limit the amount of time they could be in the area, out in the open. Tragooms, gangs, opportunistic entities like Dantovonian slave traders, and rogue military were everywhere The Earthers had been getting more daring about approaching and testing the defenses of the refugee center. The more the clan could do from the inside, the better for all.   
The Nobek mused over their situation and Susannah’s sudden change of heart regarding leaving the Collection. She’d been vehemently resistant, Denar had said, even defiant, before she’d run away from him and locked herself in her quarters. He hadn’t expected her to be so suddenly docile. The three men were in agreement: the Curator was plotting something. She was too unworldly to conceal it entirely from them, but she was a clever one and she might have something very unpleasant, even dangerous, in store.  
He scowled as he swung around a landing and kept heading upward to the entrance on Level Two. She was so sweet and had become so important to him. If she was planning something, it had to be something that went counter to them bringing her up to the surface and getting her to their base. She was lying about being ready to submit to their wishes and leave behind her beloved storehouse. She didn’t believe Denar, then, about Armageddon, and she didn’t trust them. That was what hurt. He didn’t see what else they could do to overcome her suspicions and make her understand they weren’t trying to destroy her precious life, but rather preserve it.   
He had proposed a good, sound spanking and Denar had considered it, but he’d deemed it more likely to be counter-productive, especially as they were not her clan and she was not their Matara. Punishment within the clan was one thing. With an outsider? Not a good idea, as much as it seemed like Susannah deserved it. Kyrnis and Tynevek were working on their own plan but they weren’t sure that it hadn’t been rendered null by Susannah’s sudden anger and sly behavior. Denar was angrier still but he kept it tightly bottled. He’d decided to go along with her sham acquiescence and simply keep a sharp eye on her. He was determined to get her to the center as soon as possible, before she had time or opportunity to try any tricks.   
Tynevek met him in the kitchen area and handed him a protein bar. Kyrnis smiled his thanks.   
“You’re getting ready to blast?”  
Kyrnis nodded. “Denar’s in the passage now, or what’s left of the passage. He’s shoring up areas so we don’t end up with just another pile of rocks blocking our way in or out.”  
His Imdiko glanced at the door to the outside, then all around. He lowered his voice. “I don’t think Susannah’s around but I need to ask you about our other plan. Do you think we’ll have to implement it?”  
Kyrnis leaned a hip against the counter as he munched his snack and swallowed. “We may not have to, but I’m thinking we may want to implement it anyway.”  
Tynevek picked up the bottle of peppercorns he was using in a dish for evening meal. He sprinkled some in his palm as he considered. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. But it’s risky and it’s costly and we can’t undertake it without Denar’s approval.”  
“You think he’d disapprove?” Kyrnis knew Denar to be fair and generous, even though he could be strict. “It would benefit many.”  
“He might not see it that way. He might see it as another link to this planet. Another thing to remind him of all we’ve been through.”  
“I suppose he might think it’s something that will drag him back, yes.”   
Kyrnis finished his bar and reached for a cup for water. Tynevek handed him one with a thoughtful look.   
“I don’t think he regrets his time with Susannah. I think he’s going to feel her loss as much as we will, once we’re back at the center and she’s sent into the Matara unit.” Tynevek added wine to the sauce and stirred. “But maybe you’re right. She might not be enough to balance out the losses he feels. I guess it won't matter so much once she's settled and we're back to our own lives.”  
Kyrnis drank his water and watched his Imdiko for a long moment. Then he went off to find his Dramok but his mind was still focused on what to do about Susannah. She hadn’t made a move yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time. He wished Denar hadn’t blurted out the news of Armageddon to her in a fit of anger. It made all this so much more difficult.  
So, it was a waiting game. At least he had at least fitful communication with the outside units and he had a clear-cut objective. He’d throw his energy into getting through the rock and meet the incoming team as soon as possible.   
Denar gave him a nod as he approached. They’d been lucky to find materials left over from the storehouse’s construction. A stack of steel roof supports lay piled against one wall of the passage. Kyrnis put down the supplies he carried and went to take up one of the roof jacks. They were solid and heavy, which was good and he grinned as he put his back into hoisting and ratcheting the big cylinder into place. This was work that felt like work.   
“Put another of those into place behind me.” Denar spoke over his shoulder. “We’re going to have cut our way forward from here.”  
They worked the rest of the day, shoring and marking the spots where they would apply his sonic drill. Kyrnis checked it again to be sure his work was sound. The last thing any of them wanted was to have the thing fail, not when their hopes were pinned on getting out of here. Even if Susannah was plotting, he would press on. He wanted air and sunlight and changing winds, at the very least.  
But he also wanted a certain little Earther female. She’d stayed in her room all night and he’d been restless and unhappy without her soft body cuddled in among them. He knew it wasn’t only the sex he missed, though that was a sharp loss. He was in love. He’d been in love exactly twice before, with Denar, and then with Tynevek. He knew what love felt like. It was a slightly different sensation because this beloved was a female and an alien, but he had no doubts about his feelings. He loved Susannah and just the idea of being without her hurt.   
He wished he knew if his Dramok and his Imdiko felt the same. He would wager Tynevek was in love but his need to have a family was so powerful, that he seemed willing to give her up once they got to the surface. It shocked him that his tender clanmate could set his feelings aside so simply, but he’d made his position clear: no babies, no Susannah. As for Denar, he was uncertain. Denar was ambitious, and since his mother had died quite suddenly, leaving his fathers bereft, he still considered himself responsible for his younger brother, Rejan. There was also the incident three years ago that had affected Denar so deeply. He was ready to shake off the dust of Earth and go home. Yet the way he looked at Susannah, the way he cared for her in a hundred small ways each day, the way he seemed more blissful while loving her than Kyrnis had ever seen him--all those things told him their Dramok was deeply engaged with the beautiful scholar.   
He and Denar finished for the day and went inside to shower and change for evening meal. Yes, he was in love with Susannah. Yes, they were getting out of here. Yes, he intended to pursue his courtship of the Curator in whatever ways he could manage. Susannah was the woman for them all, he was sure. Patience was not his strongest trait, but he understood he must bide his time and see what came next before he acted. Denar had been patient and determined when he’d worked to get Kyrnis’ fathers to bless their clanning. He'd learn from his clanmate and be ready when the moment came and he could see what had to be done to win his little beloved for the whole clan. To win their Matara.   
He just hoped Susannah herself wouldn’t do something that would rob him of that chance.


	12. Chapter 12

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Twelve

 

The day arrived. All four of the inhabitants of the storehouse had labored and blasted and shoveled and picked their way up the passage toward the surface. Finally, they received a crisp, loud com and the outside team announced that they were within only a few yards from where the clan and Susannah stood, covered in dust in the newly-hewn corridor. They set to work with fresh energy, burrowing toward their goal as the others tunneled toward them.  
Susannah didn’t stop to consider what it would mean when they were through and the outside team came into the storehouse. She couldn’t think or she’d be overwhelmed with fears, doubts, and fantasies. She had to stay present, take things as they came, and watch for the opportunity to carry out her plan.   
The command came for them to step back and allow the last of the rock fell before a squad of Kalquorians, dusty, sweating, and armed with both tools and weapons. Clan Denar greeted them with joy. The newcomers gazed around them in astonishment.   
“You dug all this way?” The man in the lead stared at Denar. “I always said you were crazy as a cuthla bug, Denar.”  
Denar gave a tight grin. “We knew you lot were too weak to dig in any farther than this.”   
“Insults? For your rescuers?” The other man seemed affable but Tynevek stepped in nonetheless.   
“Come and rest. We have plenty and it’s time for a meal.” He turned to Susannah and nodded for her to lead the way.   
Kyrnis took her arm. “No, little one. I know it’s your home, but this is newly-cut. I will go first in case anything’s fallen up the line.”  
She shrugged and let him go ahead. The newcomers numbered eight in all, all of them tall, muscular, and dark like Clan Denar. She studied them casually as they filed into the entry at Level Two. A few of them were good-looking, but they didn’t surpass the Kalquorians she’d been with over the past weeks. None of them had Denar’s keen eyes or Kyrnis’ massive chest or Tynevek’s overall gorgeousness. They all bowed to her, formally, and while she caught them shooting glances her way, they were careful not to confront or stare at her. Tynevek had told her some more about the protocol in their rescue units but she had listened with only half an ear. It didn’t matter to her what they intended.   
She helped Tynevek and Kyrnis get the midday meal on the table while the rest went to clean up after their day of digging. They trooped into the dining area, their dark hair slicked back, their expressions both wondering and deferential, then Susannah and the other two cooks hurried downstairs to get showered and changed. Susannah made sure her demeanor was meek and calm as she officially welcomed the team to the storehouse.   
The leader of the group, a stocky Nobek named Larsa, bowed to her again as they took their seats around the table. “Your home is amazing, Matara. I spoke with a fellow who worked for the old Smithsonian museums and he was very reluctant to say what happened to many articles from those collections. I’m guessing some of them came here?”  
Susannah smiled briefly. “I wouldn’t know. We don’t ask. We just collect and store.”  
Denar gave a look so sharp it might cut glass. “You are too modest, Curator Talcott.” He turned to Larsa and nodded in her direction. “Matara Susannah knows every inch of this place and something about everything in it. She is a prodigious scholar.”  
She felt her cheeks warm at his praise but she didn’t want to talk about the Collection with a stranger. Who knew what he might choose to do with that information?  
“Do you think anyone saw you?” Kyrnis asked.   
“It’s always possible,” said another man, who sat to the right of Larsa. “But we went in under cover of night, and didn’t do any heavy drilling or make any substantial noise or vibrations until we were well into the passage you laid out for us.”  
“Good. We’ll need to do the same on the trip up, of course.”  
“We plan to do the same in reverse.”  
The conversation turned to more general news about what was going on at the refugee camp. Susannah listened in silence. She might need to know more about the place, but she hoped she would not. After the meal, several of the men swept all the clearing and cleaning out of her hands and finished the job in lightning speed. Then, they all trooped into the meeting room on Level Five to talk with Denar and his clan and plan for the move. Susannah went down to her room to read and made a few more plans.   
Later that night, just as she was drowsing, she heard a soft knock at her door. She hit the announce and Tynevek spoke over the unit. “Susannah. I would like to say good night. Will you let me in?”  
She debated. She didn’t want him to weaken her resolve. She wasn’t kidding herself about how deeply she still cared about all three of the men. But she needed to go along to get what she needed, so she buzzed him in.   
“Are you well, sweetling?”  
Damn. She wished he wouldn’t call her that, especially not in his soft, velvety-dark voice. She nodded, stiffly. “Yes. I’m fine. I’m just a little overwhelmed by so many people here.” That was certainly true. It had been a long time since the rest of the storehouse workers had died.   
Tynevek came to sit on the edge of her bed. His smile was kind. “I can imagine.” His eyes narrowed. “No one has behaved inappropriately, have they?”  
“No. They have been nothing but gentlemanly.” She folded her hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak.   
“Are you angry with us, Susannah?” He tilted his head, his brows drawn down. “It’s been a busy few days with the digging and so forth. We don’t mean to neglect you.”  
“You haven’t. It’s...it’s hard to get used to the idea that I’m leaving the storehouse. It’s my only home.”  
He reached out and stroked a hand over her hair. “I see. I think you are very brave to face your future this way. We are grateful that you trust us enough to look to your safety.”  
She fought to not lean into that hand. The Imdiko was so comforting and while he’d concealed the truth from her, he’d been nothing but kind and friendly toward her. She’d even fancied he loved her, a little. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of those fantasies, however. She couldn’t let herself be carried off by his nearness, his scent, his wonderful warmth. She could hold out against her desires.   
She shifted away from him. “Are the rest of your friends settled for the night? Do they need anything?”  
“They brought their own gear and have taken up quarters on Level Five, in the meeting room. They can hardly believe this amazing place. They’ve been asking if you would give them an official tour in the morning, before we begin putting things away and covering them up.”  
Her wonderful collection, boxed up and covered in sheeting tarps. Susannah’s resolve strengthened. That wasn’t what the Collection had been created for, not by a long chalk.   
“I’d be happy to.” She gave him a wan smile. “But I’m tired now. We did a lot of digging today.” She rolled a shoulder that was legitimately sore.   
“Let me massage it for you.”  
She held up a hand. The minute he touched her, she’d be lost. She knew that much. “Thank you, no. I had a hot shower and took a mild pain tablet. I’m just sleepy.”  
He looked at her for a long moment. Then, he nodded and rose to leave. “You have only to call us, sweet girl. We will come to help you, no matter what.”  
You just won’t let me do what I have to do. She smiled again. “Thank you. Good-night, Imdiko.”  
He looked a bit startled by her refusal to use his proper name, only his title. She didn’t care. It established the distance she needed between them. He turned and left in silence. She sagged a little. That hadn’t been fun. Tynevek was a caring person.  
It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting on with it.   
After a cursory tour in the morning, the Kalquorians worked at their usual lightning speed, boxing and crating and covering artifacts according to her directions. Larsa consulted often with her and watched to see that his men followed her dictates. They took meticulous, almost reverent care of everything, and were keeping detailed manifests of the contents of every level, every room, every shelf and drawer. She couldn’t fault them on any of it. If she had to do this job, she would have done the same.   
It took them three days to button down and seal up the Collection. How many decades had it taken to collect it all? Had it all been for nothing? Susannah wandered through the levels on the morning of that third day, seeing no more displays. No geodes or medieval swords. No rocker beds or gym equipment. No vids of her parents. No romance novels or vid displays of the outside world. Today, she would go out into that world, in company of aliens. She’d never dreamed this might be the way things would go.   
Still. She turned, and strode back to her rooms, where her simple pack and one wooden box held the few possessions she would take with her.   
“You won’t need much and there’s not much space at the center for extras.” Tynevek had advised her how to pack. “We have a great many things we’ve brought with us and bought from traders. You will be comfortable, Susannah.”   
Now, she hoisted her backpack over one shoulder and took the wooden box up under her arm. She closed her door and quietly walked up the stairs to join the men gathered at the entrance to the living area. Kyrnis reached to take her things but she smiled and raised her hand. “It’s all right. I can manage, thanks.”  
She avoided looking at Denar and allowed Tynevek to guide her into the middle of the group. She looked back over her shoulder, then faced the opening door. Time to travel.   
Larsa led the way into the tunnel, with another Dramok beside him. Kyrnis followed them and Denar and Tynevek flanked Susannah. The rest of the men filled in behind. Denar had insisted everyone in his group also wear protective head gear mounted with lights and the men carried extra tunneling equipment from the storehouse in their packs. Three men in Larsa’s group carried torches so their way was lit. She marched on in silence, though the men talked softly in the echoing passage.   
“You are sad to be leaving.” Tynevek nodded to her.   
“Of course.”  
“I am sorry, Matara. But I’m glad you’re going to be safe.”  
She only nodded. She had to be on the watch as they at least drew up to the narrow entrance the outside team had hewn into the side of the hill above the storehouse. At Larsa’s signal, everyone flicked off their lights. She felt a moment’s panic at the immediate, enveloping dark but she felt a strong hand in hers.   
“I can see, Susannah. Kalquorian eyesight, you know.” Denar’s voice was soft. “Just stay close.”  
“All right.” She allowed the Dramok to conduct her forward and help her over the threshold.  
Then, she was outside.   
She drew in a long breath. The air was so different! There was a slight breeze that stirred her around her and brought with it scents she vaguely recalled from that last, long-ago trip outside. It was nighttime. There were stars overhead that lent a bit of light and gave shape to the woods that began just a few yards away.   
“Are you all right?” Tynevek asked, touching her shoulder.  
“I’m fine. I just...I just need to adjust.”  
“I can believe it.” Kyrnis was there with them as they waited for the rest of the party to come up out of the tunnel. “Even I can feel the difference after so short a time.”  
“We need to make for the trees,” Larsa said to Denar. “In a group, Matara Susannah in the middle across the open area. Stay close.”  
The group formed a tight unit and Susannah was hemmed in among the tall men. She couldn’t see where they were going. All she could see was the dark shapes of the Kalquorians and the sky above. She moved when Tynevek placed a hand at the small of her back.   
The ground was rough and she almost stumbled but both Tynevek and Denar supported her. She wished they weren’t hovering over her but then again, she knew if they weren’t she’d likely be on her face in the dirt. She made an effort to walk more carefully.   
Where were they going? They were supposed to have a shuttle, weren’t they? Why wasn’t it nearby?  
“The transport unit is a mile off.” As if he’d heard her questions, Larsa spoke, his voice was almost as soft as the breeze. “They’ve been having trouble with raiders and they didn’t want to lead them here.”  
They kept moving through the dark. She knew the Kalquorians were quiet and sure-footed but out here, on the rough terrain, she still heard no footfalls. They seemed to defy their own physiques, she thought. Such heavy men should sound like drums on the earth as they moved. What sort of training did they go through to become such skillful trackers?  
She sighed to herself. They were so fascinating. She had to curb her curiosity and concentrate on where they were taking her.   
They reached the line of the trees and some of the group fanned out, still leaving a tight ring around her. The spice of the trees and dank smell of earth was especially strong. Her senses were alight with her new surroundings. They wove among the tree-trunks, heads turning, watching for danger at every second.   
Larsa spoke into his com. He spoke Kalquorian, guttural and rapid. Then he turned to Kyrnis beside him. “They’ve had to move. Another mile, three marks south. We need to bear right.”  
Larsa and Kyrnis motioned to the others and the company began to turn.   
“Why did they have to move?” She couldn’t help it. She had to know.   
“Not sure. Possibly raiders. Could be anything.” Denar touched her arm. “We’re all right, sweetling.”  
She looked just in time to see Larsa grin at the pet name. He immediately hid it but he seemed very amused that Denar would use such a sentimental expression.   
They walked on, ducking under low lying branches and through underbrush that the men quietly pushed aside for Susannah to pass. She wore what Tynevek had advised, a long-sleeved black top and dark jeans with her work boots. He’d made her cover her hair with her the knit cap she’d worn the first day they’d found her. He’d smiled and said he should probably dirty up her face a bit, too, but he felt they’d be all right for such a short trip.   
It wasn’t just a short trip, though. A snapped message on Larsa’s com had all of the men drawing closer.   
“They had to pull off.” Larsa’s tone was calm but Susannah thought he sounded concerned. “We’re to stay on course but wait in the trees until we hear from them.”  
They walked for another stretch, then Larsa called a halt. “This is as near as we can get.” He pointed ahead and Susannah could just make out a brighter light through the trees.   
He set up a watch and the rest of the group hunkered down, taking short sips from their water flasks. Kyrnis stood over her, with Denar at his side. Tynevek helped her sit beside him, offering her a drink which she took with gratitude.   
“How are you doing, little one?” Kyrnis’ eyes never left off their constant scanning.   
“Fine. I hope your friends are okay.”  
Tynevek patted her hand. “They know what they’re doing. Don’t worry, sweet one.”  
She wasn’t worried. Not exactly. What she really felt was excitement. She had to stay alert. Everything depended on the right moment.   
She heard Kyrnis sniff. “Fuck. Someone’s coming.”  
Larsa spoke over his shoulder. “Earthers. Get ready.”  
The men were already up and taking stances in a circle around her and Tynevek. The Imdiko had doffed his pack and helped her off with hers. She knew he was making ready to run, if he had to and he was probably going to take her with him. She bit her lip. She hadn’t anticipated they would be stuck out here, so vulnerable.   
She finally heard the footsteps that were hurrying toward them. No silent footfalls for this bunch. The Kalquorians raised their weapons. She looked up to see Kyrnis’ eyes glittering in the starlight. Denar had a formidable knife in one hand and he looked more like a predator than ever, ready for the kill. She peered at Tynevek. He, too, had a knife but he kept his free hand at her waist. Most of the others had blasters of some sort. She gulped. They were ready for battle and this was not Kalquorian play. No swords, no silliness. They were ready to fight anyone who made the wrong move in their direction. The people they would be facing were Earthers, her own kind. She, who’d never really been a part of the wider world, still felt a certain horror that these formidable aliens were going to fight and likely kill her own people.   
Then again, would Earthers trust a woman who was in the company of the enemy? She was every bit their target, just like the aliens gathered around her.  
There was a silence. No doubt the approaching Earthers had seen them and called a halt. The tension in the men around her made the air tremble, it seemed. She braced herself, unsure if she should hold her ground or be ready to run. Somehow, she thought she was supposed to do both.   
The silence was shattered by a yell that rose to a hideous shriek. Then came the sound of running feet, a snapped command from Larsa, and then they were upon them. Earthers, men, were attacking with blasters and clubs and knives. They were ragged and filthy and scrawny but they came on like feral dogs, launching themselves from the shelter of the trees into the tiny clearing where Susannah’s party stood ready. The first shoo-wup sounds of blaster fire assaulted her ears, and the Kalquorians were fighting back with all they had. She stared, stunned as Kyrnis neatly sliced open the neck of one man who raced toward the center of the group. Toward her. Tynevek held her tighter, staying behind the sheltering aliens, but still ready to fight. She saw Denar take out two men with blaster shots that disintegrated their upper bodies in rain of gore. With a shriek, she buried her face in Tynevek’s chest, clinging to him. Never in all her life had she imagined anything like this. Nothing, no vid, no report, no story could recreate the horror of living beings being blasted into nothingness.   
She peeked out. One of the Earthers threw a knife and caught one of the rescue unit right in the neck. The man dropped like a stone. It left a hole in front of her and the Imdiko and she went rigid. Larsa was struggling with two men while Denar and Kyrnis fended off three others. How many more were there? The Earthers seemed to pour out from the trees like ants boiling up out of a hole. They couldn’t possibly hold them off.   
“Tynevek, get her out of here!”   
Denar didn’t have to repeat it. Tynevek had her in his arms and was off, through a break in the Earther lines, running faster than Susannah could see. Everything blurred as the Imdiko rushed her out of the fighting and into the depths of the woods.   
“Tynevek! We can’t leave them!”  
“Denar knows what to do.”  
That was an answer? What if they were all killed or taken prisoner? What would happen? Was this part of the war or was this as the clan had told her, part of the horrific aftermath of a devastating explosion?   
Tynevek ran for what seemed like miles to her, never stopping, never flagging, never stumbling. At long last he slowed and listened. She clung to his neck, waiting.   
“We’ll stay here for now.” He let her down gently, then pulled her in again for a long hug. She had to hug him back. That had been harrowing.   
“Are you all right?” They asked it in unison.   
“You first.” Tynevek was already feeling her over, at once her doctor, checking for injuries.   
“I’m fine. You?”  
“Fine, sweet one, thank you.”  
“Who were those men?”  
“I’m not sure. There are many bands and gangs roving the area. The storehouse is far enough out from any city that it is relatively free of direct damage. There is still game in the woods to hunt and...other things to hunt.”  
“You mean Kalquorians?”  
He nodded. She backed off and rested her back against a tree trunk. Tynevek remained on guard, watchful.   
“What will happen?” Her voice sounded very small.   
His beautiful face was hard. “My Dramok and my Nobek will fight. They’ll come and find us when it’s safe.”  
“You’re sure?”  
“I promise, Susannah. They love us both. If they cannot make it back, they will alert the rescue center. Someone will find us. I will make sure you are taken to safety.”  
She heard the faint sounds of blaster fire. Tynevek turned his back to her, facing out, knife ready. How could the gentle Imdiko doctor fight and harm someone? What use was a knife against a blaster?  
She soon learned. A lone Earther came out of the trees, fleeing the fight. When he saw Tynevek, though, he hesitated but a second before leaping at him. Tynevek seemed to dive, roll, jump up from behind and grab the man in mid-air. The Imdiko’s fangs were out as he sank the knife into the man’s ribs. The attacker sagged and Tynevek dropped him to the forest floor. He stood over the man’s bleeding form, his eyes flat with fury, chest heaving.   
Susannah cringed when he met her eyes. Almost instantly, he changed, becoming once more the man she knew. “No, Susannah. Don’t be afraid. It’s all right. I needed to stop him.”  
He dropped to a squat and checked the man’s pulse. It was clear to Susannah the fellow was gone before he hit the ground. Tynevek lifted the lifeless form and tossed it away, out of sight. He came striding back to her and put his hand beneath her chin. He had sheathed his fangs.  
“I’m sorry you had to see that. To see any of this. But I swear, we will fight to the death to protect you.”  
She nodded. He turned and began to watch once more. She felt tremors start and she fought against them. This was no time to be a ninny. She had to survive and no matter what happened, she would be forever grateful to the Imdiko who guarded her.  
A whistle sounded and Tynevek stood ready again. This time it was Denar, Kyrnis, Larsa, and three others who came through the trees. The moon was rising and Susannah had to swallow against the horror that rose in her when she saw the dark stains on their hands, their clothing, their, oh god, their faces. Blood. The knives they carried bore the same dark stains.   
But they ran easily, not as if someone was in pursuit. Kyrnis grinned when he saw them.   “My Imdiko, you must have outrun every champion on Kalquor, including Imdiko Anep. Good work. Susannah, you are well?”  
“I am.” She was hugging herself to keep from shaking but she was all right. “Thanks to Tynevek. He had to kill someone.”  
“You’re all right, Tynevek?” Denar was with them in a flash.   
“He tried to jump me. From in front.”  
To Susannah’s shock, Denar hooted with laughter. “What an idiot!” He grinned at Susannah. “Did he show you some of his dancing?”  
“He--he--I don’t know what he did. Somehow the man attacked from in front and Tynevek grabbed him from behind...” She faltered, seeing Kyrnis match Denar’s grin and slap the Imdiko on the shoulder.   
“My Imdiko is one in a million, little one.” He grew serious. “Thank you for taking good care of her, my clanmate.”  
Tynevek nodded. “And the other Earthers?”  
“We got all but two and those ran like marsh hares when they realized they were the last ones left.” Denar gestured to Larsa. “We thought it best to let them go and find you two before Tynevek got you to the western coastline.”  
Larsa nodded and walked away, speaking into his com unit. Denar suddenly reached out and grabbed Susannah. He hugged her fiercely, his powerful chest heaving. He let her go almost as quickly as he’d grabbed her, then stepped away to talk to Larsa.   
Kyrnis didn’t seem to care for simple hugs. He swept her up and kissed her so soundly, she worried for their teeth. He set her down and, like Denar, was again all business.   
“Here.” Tynevek was holding out a nutrition bar to her. She took it and chewed it slowly, then allowed him to give her a drink. When she was finished, he smiled and seemed relieved. Denar came back from conferring with Larsa.   
“We’ll settle here for the night. The shuttle was pinned down and barely made it out. Then they had to swing back around to pick up some Mataras who were trapped in an old barn. Bastards had set it on fire.”  
Susannah grimaced. This was war, she reminded herself. This was life above.   
Tynevek was already unpacking his small kit. He shook out a thin thermal blanket and then rolled up another one, making a bed on some of thickest areas of pine duff. “Here, Susannah. Come and lie down. Sleep. We’ll be on guard.”  
“I doubt I can sleep.” She went to the makeshift bed. Tynevek raised his brows and glanced down. She knew he was in dominant doctor mode and would brook no rebellion. She stretched out on the duff and Tynevek lifted one end of the blanket over her.  
“We’ll be right here. The shuttle should be here by morning.”  
She settled in and waited. Her mind was whirling. She couldn’t believe all she’d seen tonight. One thing was certain: something terrible had happened on Earth. The men who’d attacked them looked savage, as if they’d been living like animals for who knew how long. Tynevek, her beautiful, gentle, kindly doctor, had killed a man before her eyes. If he hadn’t, she knew the man would not have spared her anything. He had saved her life. All the men had.   
Still, would any of this have happened if Kalquor had left well enough alone? Maybe they won the war, but why didn’t they just go home? Why did they insist she and the other women come with them to their so-called rescue center? They had protected her like she was precious, valuable. Wasn’t she just the spoils of war?  
If she went on like this, she would scare herself silly. She tried to rest her mind. She thought of the storehouse and in her mind she walked through it, visiting her favorite places. She relaxed but she did not sleep. She would not sleep.  
She woke suddenly, dismayed she’d fallen asleep, after all. She listened, heard nothing. It was still dark but she thought she saw the faintest bit of light through the trees. It was nearing daybreak. She sat up, cautiously.   
Tynevek lay beside her, eyes closed. His chest rose and fell peacefully. She glanced around and made out the shape of three aliens standing guard at the perimeter of the clearing. The others sat or leaned against trees, resting. She started to stand and Tynevek was up and beside her in an instant. She smiled and leaned in toward him.   
“I need to urinate.” She actually did, so it wasn’t a lie. “I’m just going to duck behind that tree.”  
“I will go with you.”  
She blinked. “No, it’s not proper.”  
“I’m a doctor. I’ve seen everything. I’ll avert my eyes but I have to be with you.”  
She grimaced and sank back down to the ground. “I’ll wait then. They said the shuttle should be here this morning, yes?”  
Tynevek frowned. “You should take the time to relieve yourself, stubborn one. It’s not healthy to wait.”  
She fluttered her hands. “I--I’m sorry. It’s how I was raised. It’s not proper for Earthers to urinate in front of others. Some of us...some of us can’t if we’re not alone.”  
He stared at her, biting his lower lip. Then, he nodded. “That tree there. No further.”  
“All right.”   
She rose and headed for the tree. If nothing else, this little venture would give her a chance to check the nav unit she had tucked in her pants pocket. Judging from the faint sunlight, she knew which way was east, but she wasn’t sure how far Tynevek had carried her away from the fighting. Plus, she really did need to pee.   
She relived herself and then took advantage of the moment to check the nav. It told her which way was home. There was a yell from the far side of the camp. She made her decision.   
She ran. 

#

Tragooms.   
Kyrnis despised them. Any civilized being with a nose and eyes would be revolted by them. Anyone who knew their nature would loathe them. They were massive pig-snouted creatures who were covered in armored plates so tough sometimes even blasters couldn’t penetrate except at point-blank range. Even then, sometimes, one could only hope to wound the things, stopping them long enough to run away. They stank of blood and waste and the ancients only knew what else, and they were fearless fighters. Aggressive and vicious, they were known to rape and eat all of those they caught, dead or alive. They had to be taken out fast, aiming for the two tenderest areas of their bodies, the eyes and the groin.   
That they were even close to his Matara made him cold with rage. He charged ahead as they came through the trees, fifteen of the bastards, all of them armed and putrid. He got in as close as possible, raised his blaster and blew the head off the first monster to enter the clearing. Satisfaction and blood lust rose with him. Then, the battle was on. All around him, the Kalquorians fought with the hog-faced invaders. He took note of where Denar fought beside Larsa and redoubled his efforts. A Tragoom blaster blew his own weapon out of his hand and Kyrnis dropped back for a second, glad to note his hand was uninjured. He had his long-knife out and ran for his attacker. He launched into the stinking mass, aiming for the thing’s eyes. He was deflected with a blow from one mighty arm. The Nobek slammed to the ground, seeing stars that were immediately replaced by the sight of the Tragoom looming over him, raising his weapon. Kyrnis let him come in closer, then he shoved his knife up and into the creature’s groin. The Tragoom squealed and fell with a grunt. Before he could scramble clear, it toppled onto Kyrnis like a falling building, knocking the wind out of the Kalquorian. Kyrnis almost regretted his returning breath as the bastard did what all Tragooms did upon death, their final answer to their enemies. It evacuated its bowels all over him.   
Kicking and shoving, Kyrnis tried to get out from under the monster. Finally, he felt the dead Tragoom being lifted and he looked up to see Denar and another Kalquorian hauling the body off of him.   
“Holy mother of us all!” Denar flashed a grin. “You might just be able to kill someone with that smell, my Nobek!”  
Kyrnis didn’t have time to respond. He grabbed Denar’s blaster and shot the Tragoom that was racing tup behind his Dramok. It blew up in midair, raining body parts and organs over the whole area. Denar’s eyes were wide for a moment, then he pointed to the left. “That one’s mine!”  
He dove back into the battle, knife in hand. Kyrnis pitched himself clear of the dead Tragoom’s body and braced himself to fire. The battle raged. He saw another Kalquorian go down. He made himself go icy as he aimed and took out the beast who’d attacked the man. More Tragoom bits showered everywhere but still they came on. Had there been more of them hiding in the trees?  
He fought his way toward the spot where Tynevek and Susannah had been resting. He was relieved to see that neither of them was in sight. More than likely, at the first sign of trouble, his Imdiko had taken the Matara and run.   
But what if there had been more of the Tragoom raiding party in the trees beyond? What if they had--  
He didn’t have time to complete the thought as another group of three Tragooms bolted toward him. He stood his ground and fired. Larsa joined him and together they shot two dead and wounded the other. The beast turned and ran. Kyrnis went after him. If Tynevek and Susannah were out there, it might be headed straight for them. Wounded or not, he wasn’t allowing anything to happen to his mates. He stormed into the woods, marveling at how quickly the thing could run, even wounded.   
The sounds of the fight were growing softer. The thing led him a merry chase. Finally, something barreled out of the trees and a tall figure literally ran up the front of the Tragoom, halting it. The thing swung out but the man was gone, already on its other side. It swung again, got only air. The man ran up its back this time, kicking it in the head. It staggered, enraged, and Kyrnis took aim. He fired and made a clean kill, separating the Tragoom’s piggy head from its massive body. It fell without a sound, but another mighty stink.   
Tynevek stepped around it, waving his hand to ward off the stench. His Imdiko was hardly breathing hard. Kyrnis lowered his blaster and grinned at his lifemate.   
“Thank you, my Imdiko. I wasn’t ready to chase him all the way back to the storehouse.”  
Tynevek’s handsome features were dark. Kyrnis glanced around. He felt his heart seize.   
“Where is Susannah?”  
Tynevek raised a hand. “She’s missing. She disappeared just before the Tragooms attacked.” His voice was edged with both fury and fear.  
Kyrnis snarled. “There are more Tragooms around. Did they take her?”  
“I don’t know. She needed to urinate. She went behind a tree for privacy. Kyrnis, I’m sorry. I let her go.”  
His Imdiko looked like he was ready to slit his own wrists in guilt, but there was no time for further talk. Kyrnis swung the blaster onto his shoulder. “We have to get to Denar.”  
They raced back to the clearing. The Tragoom Kyrnis had followed had led him far afield. They reached the area just as Larsa took out the last, squealing attacker.   
“Kyrnis, you should--” Denar stopped in mid-sentence. “Where is Susannah?”  
Tynevek explained, quickly. Denar’s face went stony. He turned to Larsa. “Two groups. One to the west, one southwest. Send a com to transport and to the base.” He turned to Tynevek. “Lead the way.”  
The Imdiko didn’t hesitate. He flew ahead of them, plunging into the trees at the edge of the clearing. Kyrnis took after him, Denar at his side. His mind raced with questions and fears but he fought them back. He called on his strength as a warrior: a cold detachment that would allow him to see the fight that was before him.  
If Tragooms had taken Susannah, they shouldn’t be hard to track. They were heavy, smelly, and careless. Broken branches and crushed undergrowth would show where they’d gone. He bent down even as he ran, trying to pick up Susannah’s sweet scent, the scent he now knew as well as he knew Denar’s or Tynevek’s. There was nothing, only stench.   
“They might be carrying her.” Denar’s voice reflected his own icy rage.   
Kyrnis grunted his agreement as they raced along. Tynevek was not as strong at tracking as he and Denar, but his Imdiko had the will to do anything it took to care for the ones he loved. He was being driven by both his guilt at losing Susannah but also his instincts as a male seeking his mate. Kyrnis let him lead. It gave him time to grow calmer still, to wait until he knew what he was dealing with so that he could accurately plan a strategy.   
Abruptly, the trail ended and a familiar clearing lay before them. Tynevek slowed and crisscrossed the area before them. Denar joined him.   
“Nothing.” Tynevek looked to Kyrnis. “Can that be?”  
Kyrnis looked around. There was an indentation in the grasses just to their left. A big one. He wanted to swear but held his calm. He pointed.  
“Their ship.”  
They all looked to the skies. Clear as any spring morning. No sign of Tragooms, no sign of an enemy ship. No sign of Susannah. Tynevek gave a soft, agonized groan.  
Kyrnis twisted suddenly. Scowling, he traced over a small area a ways out from where the ship had rested.  
“Denar.” He motioned for the Dramok to join him.   
Denar’s face changed at once, his brows rising. “How long ago?”  
“She passed this way not more than an hour ago, probably less.” Kyrnis swung about and shaded his eyes. “She was on her own.”  
“Headed back to the storehouse.” Tynevek had joined them.   
Denar nodded. “Let’s go.”  
Kyrnis took the lead this time. He kept the little Matara’s scent and there were spots where it mingled with the scent of his own mates and other Kalquorians.   
“She’s headed back the way we came out.”  
“What the rancid fuck is she thinking?” Denar didn’t require an answer, he knew. Kyrnis knew, too, that Susannah had run back to be with her beloved Collection. She had thrown dust in all their eyes. They upped their pace.   
“This was what she was planning. Why the hell didn’t I see it?”  
“You couldn’t have known she’d be so foolish.” Tynevek’s voice was soft.   
“I should have known. She gave in too easily. I did this. I forced her hand.”  
Kyrnis didn’t respond. There wasn’t time to worry over blame or anything else. He’d caught another scent on the trail. He came to a sudden halt, glancing all around.   
“Tragoom.”   
“Only one?” Denar came to his side.   
“That’s all I can sense right now. Who knows where the rest of them are.” Because Tragooms didn’t travel alone, Kyrnis knew.   
Denar squatted and studied the ground. He sniffed deeply. “The Tragoom scent is earlier than Susannah’s. It or they were ahead of her.”  
Some of Kyrnis’s calm drained away. “They went to the storehouse.”  
“We have to go.” Tynevek was ready to run. Kyrnis stopped him.   
“Wait. We can’t go in without knowing what we’re facing. It could be there are others hiding in the shadows and hollows around the storehouse. We need to fan out.”  
“I’m going in after her.”  
“No, my Imdiko, you’re not. You are fast and you’re strong, but you’re not equipped to fight a pack of Tragooms.” Kyrnis squinted at the land around them. “Denar, you take the right, Tynevek, the left. I’m going through. You know how to signal if you see them coming.”  
Denar was already on his com, messaging Larsa who was still at the clearing in the woods. Tynevek gave Kyrnis a look that said he was not allowed to get himself killed, on pain of his doctor’s loving wrath. Then he ran, as only his Imdiko could run: fast, light, graceful.   
“Keep comming,” Denar said, touching Kyrnis’ shoulder. “I want you to be in touch the whole time.”  
“Can’t promise that.”  
“I know. But do your damnedest.” Denar kissed him swiftly, then ran.   
The kiss almost undid him, but then it bolstered Kyrnis’ intent. He was going to rescue their stubborn, beloved Matara. The woman he knew without doubt his clanmates adored, in the way that they adored him. They’d always been the best part of him. He would rescue their love or die in the attempt.   
Then he was going to paddle her pretty little ass until she couldn’t remember a time when she could sit without using a pillow.   
He raced for the spot where the entry was hidden. He pulled his blaster free of its hook as he ran. He reached the place where all this had begun and slowed, looking all around for enemy presence. He scented nothing new but it was clear both Susannah and one or more Tragoom had crossed the threshold recently.   
He almost groaned aloud as he saw the hatch was open. Susannah wouldn’t have gone into the storehouse and left the front door wide. She’d almost shot him for entering, hadn’t she?  
He moved silently, allowing his eyes to quickly adjust to the gloom. He tried to recall if the piggy little eyes of a Tragoom were as strong as his in darkness. Nothing came up so he erred on the side of caution and went still more slowly.   
There was a grunt from the Tunnel up ahead. The scent was suddenly close. Kyrnis crept forward, easing around a curve just enough to see.   
His spine straightened. Susannah sat on the ground, just behind a boulder, one hand gripping her ankle, the other holding a piece of rebar that had been left behind by the excavation. He could see she was whole and breathing and terrified. Behind her, its snout testing the air, stood a monster Tragoom. The beast was in full hunting mode, right down to the grotesque erection tenting its loincloth. It was planning to rape and to feast as soon as it found the female it was scenting.   
The creature’s state was both good and bad for Kyrnis. Good, because it might be so focused on finding Susannah that it wouldn’t see or smell him coming. Bad, because its arousal would make it even wilder to attack anyone interfering with its plans. One mistake and he and Susannah were both lost.  
It had to be done. Kyrnis slid out of his hiding place and faced his target.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Thirteen 

Susannah held her breath, fearing even the smallest sound would alert the Tragoom to her presence. She had dashed into the tunnel with no thought but to get to the entry to Level Two, get inside and never let another living being trick her into coming out again. When she saw the huge dark shape in the lone torchlight left by the Kalquorians, she had almost shrieked. She dove off the path, hitting a rock with her foot and twisting her ankle. She didn’t think it was badly injured but it throbbed, making her bite her lip and wince as she clutched it. She expected to hear the thundering footsteps of the creature coming for her.   
She glanced around and found a piece of iron bar leaning against the rock where she was hiding. It wasn’t much, but it was a weapon. She would fight for her life. It would be nicer if the ugly thing went on its way, out of the tunnel without finding her, but she was afraid the sound of her wildly pounding heart might give her away.   
Another shadow eased around a curve, just down the tunnel from where she hid. She swallowed the gasp that almost erupted from her. Kyrnis!  
Even in shadow, she knew his silhouette, the set of his wide shoulders. He eased back out of sight. Had he come after her to take her captive? Was he leaving? Would he give up on chasing her rather than face the Tragoom?   
Tears stung in her eyes. She knew he and the rest of the clan were probably furious with her. She had been a coward to run when they were fighting for their lives. She’d been such an idiot. She’d just acted on her own impulses rather than stop and analyze the situation. She was no scholar. She was a stupid, careless child. But she couldn’t give up on the Collection.  
She saw Kyrnis again, peering out at the Tragoom. He had a blaster but could he get a shot that would kill that horror before it reached him?  
Kyrnis had always been her defender and champion. He didn’t deserve to risk his life for her. She had to do something to get him out of the tunnel before that slavering beast discovered his presence. Think, Susannah. Think before you act this time.   
She eased up into a squat, the iron bar in one hand. She counted to three, to give herself a boost of energy. Then she popped up from behind the rock and threw the bar with all her strength. It sailed past the Tragoom’s head. To her joy, the thing turned to see where it landed.   
“Susannah, down!”  
Kyrnis leapt from behind the rock and took aim. Before the Tragoom could grab for its own weapon, the Nobek blasted off its head. The echo of the shot rang around and around the tunnel.   
Then, there was another sound, softer but just as deadly in its implications. Rocks began to fall.   
Before she could blink, Kyrnis had her in his arms and was running back down the tunnel. She shrieked as she heard the roaring at their backs and the first sprays of gravel that started to rain down. Kyrnis ran like the wind but the collapse was massive and rapid. It seemed the whole length of the tunnel was coming down on their heads. She couldn’t even see the entrance for the growing cloud of dust and debris.   
Kyrnis raced on, dodging falling rock. The rumble of the cave-in grew like thunder rolling through a canyon. He placed a hand on her head, pushing her down so she was pressed against his chest as larger and larger rocks began to fall. They slammed into her body everywhere else she was exposed. She knew they were hammering at Kyrnis. Still he ran.   
Over the bellow of the oncoming tidal wave of earth, Susannah heard shouts. Kyrnis dug in, put on more speed, incredibly, and they flew toward the voices. Toward the entry. Then, they were out, into the clear. Kyrnis kept moving and the sound of the rocks followed at their heels.   
At long last, Kyrnis slowed. He came to a halt with her still clutched to his chest, his big heart thundering beneath the muscled surface. She couldn’t move and it didn’t seem as if he was going to let her go, anyway.   
“My Nobek, you’ve been hurt. Give her to Denar.” Tynevek’s voice was gentle but firm. “She’s safe now.”  
Kyrnis growled. “Tragooms?”   
“We’re clear for now. The shuttle should be here in minutes.”   
She felt Kyrnis loosen his hold and she was passed to Denar, who held her close in much the same way. She dared to peer up into his face. His eyes were locked onto his clanmates. She looked and saw Tynevek checking Kyrnis. He was covered in dust and there were multiple scrapes and scratches on his face, neck, arms and shoulders. He reeked of something eye-wateringly awful. One eye was already beginning to swell shut.   
Her fault. If he hadn’t chased after her, he wouldn’t have been hurt. And she would have been slaughtered by a Tragoom.   
“I’m fine,” the Nobek rumbled. “Susannah’s hurt her ankle.”  
She almost groaned as Tynevek turned at once and came to examine her. She wanted to just hide. He didn’t meet her eyes but he treated her injury with his characteristic efficiency and gentleness. She winced as he wiggled her ankle.   
“Nothing broken. Might be a sprain. I’ll be able to treat it on the shuttle, or at the base, if necessary.”  
Her ears were still ringing from the collapsing tunnel, but she could hear a buzzing sound growing in the air. She followed Denar’s gaze up to the sky. A shining silver hover, four times the size of the few she’d ever seen, came smoothly over the trees and set down lightly in the center of the clearing. A Kalquorian transport shuttle. A hatch opened in its side and and a gangway was lowered. Larsa came out of the shuttle’s doorway and motioned to them.   
Denar took the lead. She wanted to protest that Kyrnis should go first, but the cold light in his eyes kept her lips sealed. She peeked over his shoulder. Rocks were still spilling out of the entrance to the storehouse. The storehouse was sealed.   
Denar carried her up the gangway and into the shuttle. He bore her straight to the back of the large seating area behind the cockpit and placed her on a small cot set into the wall. Tynevek moved around him and had her shoe and sock off in a twinkling. She tried to shoo him away. “No, Tynevek. Kyrnis needs you.”  
“Kyrnis is being tended by Larsa’s Imdiko. I need to see to you.”  
His gorgeous face was stone-still as he took up a scanner to examine her. He scanned her whole body, noting bruises here and there, though she was nowhere near as battered as Kyrnis. He focused on her ankle and then nodded. “As I thought. Not broken, not even sprained. But it’s swelling.” He took out a cold compress and wrapped it around her ankle. She drew in a sharp breath as the cold touched her bare flesh. “It will be numb soon.” She had the brief wish that her nose would go numb soon, too, as almost everyone on the ship, herself included, reeked like an open sewer. The scent of Tragooms.  
She made herself nod and Tynevek moved away to consult with the man attending Kyrnis. She looked around her. She hadn’t even noticed the hatch had been shut and they’d already lifted into the air. She closed her eyes, briefly. It would be her first flight, ever. So much to know but she all she could think was how she’d botched everything. How furious the clan was with her. How much she still didn’t understand.  
Tynevek returned and removed the compress. He took out a tube of lotion and gently held her foot in one big hand while he smoothed the lotion onto the bruised area. She began to feel relief at once.   
“I can give you a pain inhibitor.”  
She’d never known Tynevek to be so terse with her. No pet names now. No touching beyond what was required of him as a doctor. Well, she deserved it, didn’t she? She shook her head. “No, thank you. It’s not that bad.”  
“Rest. We’ll reach base in about twenty minutes.”  
He moved off to sit with Denar. The two talked softly, out of her hearing. Larsa and his Imdiko finished with Kyrnis, who’d been growling over their attentions. When they released him, The Nobek went at once to sit with his clanmates. The look she saw when Tynevek gazed at him was pure devotion and relief. He seemed to drink in the sight of both his lifemates, safe and sound.  
She shifted her head. There was a vid-wall view of the outside as they flew. She could scarcely take in what she was seeing. Blackened trees. Ruined buildings. Highways clogged with abandoned vehicles. Burned-out homes. Graffiti raging at Kalquor, then some raging against Earth Gov. The landscape was scorched in places. In others, fences made of boards and razor wire and glass bits and plastic had been thrown up to defend homes from marauders. She even saw people just wandering about, seeming dazed.   
Something terrible had indeed happened on Earth. They had been telling her the truth about that much. But she still didn’t have evidence for all Denar had claimed.  
She looked at the clan. Their faces blurred, as if a soft cloud had filled her vision. She was suddenly so tired. She shouldn’t take a break but she simply had to put her head down. Tynevek had told her to rest. She should obey. She woke to feel Tynevek lifting her up off the cot. She wriggled. “You don’t have to carry me. I’ll go on my own.”  
“You’ll do as you’re told.” Denar’s nearby voice was brittle.   
She shrank back, wishing she could somehow make herself less of a burden for the Imdiko to bear. He stalked out of the shuttle and into the sunlight. From every corner, it seemed, Kalquorians ran to meet them. One of them had a hover chair and Tynevek placed her into it. Another man came to greet Denar with an outstretched hand. He shook Denar’s shoulder in a friendly greeting. The man who’d brought the chair began to push her along the walkway into the five-story building that lay ahead of them. Another man was furiously making notes on his tablet while Tynevek answered his questions in Kalquorian. The building looked like it had once been a shopping mall. She’d never been in one before. This must be the refugee camp, she guessed, but those guards and fences also made it look like a fortress. Or maybe a prison.  
Some camp, she thought. No tents or cabins here. It was huge and imposing and the Kalquorians had put up tall fencing all around its perimeter. Armed guards stood watch every few yards. When she was steered through the doors, she looked up and up into the courtyard at the center of the structure. The whole space was ringed with balconies. Large windows showed various people--Kalquorians--at work at desks and workstations. The lights that floated above made a pleasant glow and the scent of cooking wafted from one corner. It smelled delicious but Susannah had no appetite.  
Tynevek accompanied her to the medical center. He stood with her as yet another orderly did an intake. He was very deferential and kept looking to the Imdiko as if asking his permission to touch or even speak to her. Tynevek only nodded and supplied a word or two now and then. Her own limited Kalquorian seemed to have deserted her because she didn’t understand any of it. At the end of the session, he spoke for several moments, answering more of the orderly’s questions.   
“This is standard protocol for all refugees, Susannah,” he told her when the intake officer hurried off. “We need to gauge the health of everyone who comes through so we can provide for their needs and guard against infections, of course. I told him I had examined you thoroughly and that you have recovered well from starvation and some sensory and psychological deprivation.”  
“Oh. Thank you.” It was all she could think to say.   
She signed a form of some sort as Denar joined them. “It’s time to get you settled, Matara.”  
“Settled?”  
“You will have to stay in medical overnight. Just a precaution. You will have the best care we can provide.”   
Tynevek nodded to an orderly standing by and she was steered out of the examination cube and into a hallway with many doors along its length. Away from Tynevek and the others. She felt her breathing tighten. With the exception of the clan, and brief contact with the outside rescue team, she hadn’t been around other people for a very long while. She felt suddenly vulnerable and shy. Life among the storehouse workers was all she’d known until now. What would happen? How would she deal with it?  
“My name is Imdiko Gok,” the orderly said as he walked alongside her chair, guiding it with a practiced touch. His English was excellent, with that odd, slightly guttural Kalquorian accent. “I will be your attendant. Your attending physician will be Dramok Doctor Admek. Your room is just ahead, on this floor.”  
She gazed around at the many doors and meeting rooms she glimpsed in passing. “This is a refugee center? It’s so big.”  
“This used to be part of a large hotel that was housed here in this marketplace,” Gok told her. “We’ve converted a portion of it into our medical center. The other rooms are set aside for the people we bring in or those who come to us for refuge, yes. We have nearly five hundred Earthers staying here at the moment.”  
“Five hundred!”   
“Yes.” The young man’s voice was softly proud. “We have had well over three thousand Earthers on base over the past three years. A great many of them were rescued by your clan, Matara.”  
Her clan. She didn’t correct him. They certainly weren’t hers but that didn’t matter right now.   
“Here we are.” He guided her into a spacious room with two sizable beds made up with clean but utilitarian-looking bedspreads. “We have no single rooms available, Matara Susannah. Your roommate, Matara Linda, is visiting with her doctors right now but she will be back later today. I believe you will enjoy each other’s company.” He set her chair brake. “How does your ankle feel?”  
She stuck our her foot and wiggled it. “It seems fine. Imdiko Tynevek treated me right away after I...after I injured it.”  
Gok helped her to her feet and she nodded that she was all right.  
“This is very good, Matara. Doctor Tynevek is one of our best, so of course you have had the best of care.” Gok’s voice was warm. “I have a change of clothing for you.” He held up a neat bundle, along with two large fluffy towels. “You can shower and change in the bath while I ready your bed and finish my notes on your chart. Press the call toggle if you need anything.”  
“Thank you.” She went to the bathroom. When the lights came up, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was covered in grit and grime. She’d gotten used to it along the way and forgotten it in all the hectic events of the past hours, but she guessed she stank to the skies, along with the others. Imdiko Gok must be wanting to gag. Oh, yes, if nothing else, she needed a shower.   
The water was blissfully warm. She shut herself into the stall and let it pour down over her, her hands over her eyes. With the relief of getting clean, her emotions began to rise. She slumped against the wall. What had happened? What had she done? She saw again the cold looks Denar and Tynevek had given to her, recalled their silence and clipped speech. There was no denying she was the idiot who’d put them in danger. She’d almost been killed herself, at least twice. Did they understand that she had had to run? That she couldn’t have seen any other path? Still, the guilt was powerful. They’d risked their lives for her. They were trying to rescue her, even if she didn’t wish to be rescued.  
Her throat filled with tears. It was almost impossible to take in, but there it was: the storehouse was gone. Even if she stayed there, there was no way she could find the help or resources to dig her way back in. If anyone would even allow it. From the looks of this “camp” the Kalquorians were certainly in charge of this part of the world. Meanwhile, the work of generations, the legacy of ages, was sealed underground, perhaps forever. Lost.  
And yet... “Not one of the objects in this storehouse is more precious than that. Not one work of art is as valuable as a strand of your beautiful hair or your lovely eyes. No old book can match the wonder of your breathing or your heartbeat. Any living being, with blood in their veins and a beating heart is more precious than all these things.”   
Tears began to fall. She had been more than foolish or impulsive or stubborn. She had been blindly loyal to things. Amazing things, but things all the same. She had put lives in danger rather than give them up. It might turn out the threat to Earth had been exaggerated but she had chosen a cavern full of objects over the lives of people who had, as yet, never shown her they had the slightest interest in harming her. Yes, Denar had blustered at her, threatened her. But he’d threatened because he believed she really was in danger. He’d threatened because, as he’d said, when it came down to it, he would come down on the side of life, above all else.  
Denar was bossy and domineering, but he was no monster. He’d seen how things were around this place and of course he’d done what he’d seen as his duty: he’d rescued a stubborn brat from a hole in the ground. From the looks of that last collapse, that hole in ground would have destroyed the tunnel and sealed her in forever, alone, if he and his clanmates hadn’t insisted she go. She’d thought she was so clever in her attempt to run. She had almost forced them to pay the ultimate price for the sake of her collection of things, because there was no way those three men would have abandoned their duty or their reverence for life, no matter who it was they’d found in the storehouse.   
She let the tears fall unchecked for a few more moments as she allowed her mind and heart to accept what she now knew. Then, bracing up, she shampooed her hair and scrubbed herself down, wincing at the bruises but not complaining. She’d come out of the last day and a half alive, thanks to the clan and their comrades. She thought of how battered Kyrnis had looked. She needed to apologize, to all of them. But would they even want to speak to her?  
She squared her shoulders. She’d have to try. She wasn’t going to allow their care to go unappreciated. She owed them too much.  
When she was finished and had donned the soft blue fleece top and pants provided for her, she combed her hair with the comb from the basket of toiletries provided, put on slippers, and padded out to the room. She felt almost human again. Human but heartsore.  
Gok waited by the bed with his tablet in hand, ready to check her vitals again. She submitted to his gentle testing, then climbed up on the bed.   
“I know you must be hungry.” Gok handed her the tablet and a stylus. “Just check which foods you would like for midday meal and I’ll see they’re brought to you.”  
She stared at the menu and her eyes filled with tears once more. The words blurred. Gok shifted into action. He’d clearly had experience with weepy Earthers.  
“Here, Matara. Just rest.” He took the tablet. “I’ll bring you something simple to eat and to drink and then, when you’re feeling better, you have only to ask.” He looked at her, his head tilted to one side in a concerned way. “Is there anything I can do for you before I go see to my other charges?”   
She shook her head. He strode out, his many dark braids waving as he went. She settled back against the pillows and gazed around her. This was a strange place, this hospital that was still mostly a hotel. She considered, briefly, that this medical “processing” she was undergoing might be just a coverup for more sinister purposes. Then she saw Gok bustling past with a couple of large stuffed toys and a plate of cookies. Did anyone who carted teddy bears and cookies to his “prisoners,” really have an evil agenda? She closed her eyes. When had she become so stupid? She kept jumping to conclusions without sound evidence. Some scholar she was.   
“Matara.”  
She started at the sound of Denar’s voice. She shifted and raised herself up on the bed.  
“How--how are you?” The three men stood just inside the doorway of her room. She made a quick search of their bodies. Kyrnis sported a clear web-bandage over his very swollen and darkened eye and Denar had multiple scratches and scrapes on his face. Tynevek just looked weary. No one was using crutches or anything worse, she noted with relief. They’d cleaned up, too. They did, however, look very, very serious.   
“I’m sorry.”  
Denar regarded her coolly. “Sorry for what?”  
She stiffened her spine. “I’m sorry for being a brat. For jumping to conclusions. For lying to you and running away and putting you all in danger. Oh, Kyrnis, I’m so, so sorry! I almost got you killed!”   
“Why did you not come to us and tell us what was worrying you?” Tynevek’s beautiful eyes were shadowed with disappointment. The look pierced her heart.   
“I-I just didn’t think you really meant that you wanted to take me somewhere safe. I thought you just wanted to get me away from the storehouse.”  
“We did want to get you away from the storehouse, Susannah. I told you that from the first day.” Denar’s tone was frosty. “We wanted you out of a place where you were hungry and alone and at risk for radiation poisoning at the minimum. Why did you suddenly decide we were bastards who wanted to harm you?”   
She looked down at the bit of blanket she was twisting in her hands. “I don’t know. I think I was feeling...confused. I didn’t think. I just reacted when you threatened me. I acted like a ninny.” Her voice dropped away.   
“Was there something we did that made you not trust us?” God, she felt Kyrnis’ words like little stabs to her heart.   
“N-no. Not really.”  
“You didn’t like it when I shouted at you that I was through coddling you.” Denar’s tone was flat. “When I told you we were taking you out of the storehouse, no matter what you wanted.”  
“Yes. You scared me.” She raised her eyes to his. “You threatened everything I had held dear, all of my life. I think I just fell back on those old stories that Kalquorians only want to take captives. That they want every good thing Earth has to offer.”   
“You thought that even after all the time we’d spent together?” Denar crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been suspicious of us all along?”  
Yes, that must have been what it seemed like to them. “I’m sorry, Denar. I didn’t mean to be such a coward. When you said you were going to drag me off, I panicked.” She twisted her hands in her lap. “I’ve been trained all my life to be suspicious of anyone wanting to take over the storehouse. We were always afraid someone would come and drag us out. They would have killed us and confiscated the Collection.” She gave Denar a hard look. “You knew that.”  
“I did not forget, although I should not have lost my temper and threatened you. But you forgot that we love you.” Denar’s eyes were sharp.   
She gaped. “Love me?”  
“I thought we had shown you that we do. I said so when we were arguing that day.”  
“You said...”   
Her memory played it all again. Denar speaking to her. It was what she had been recalling earlier, only she’d left out part, hadn’t she? Denar had been talking: “Not one of the objects in this storehouse is more precious than that... The whole of this Collection is nothing in comparison with the miracle of you! And not just you, the woman that we love.”   
“Oh.” God, he had said it. In her stupid panic, she had blanked that out. “You love me?”  
Denar looked like he wanted to smack his forehead and yell “Duh!” Then he softened. “I didn’t do a good job of showing you that day. I bullied you. I shouldn’t have been such a--a--”  
“A Dramok?” She looked up at him from under her lashes.   
Tynevek and Kyrnis snickered, but sobered quickly at Denar’s black look.     
“Yes. I was being a Dramok. I was being the one who always has to be in charge and tell everyone what to do.” He glared. “I do it because I care, dammit! And I can’t not be a Dramok!”  
“I know. It’s not your fault, Denar. I was the idiot! God, when I think of how stupid I was, how you might have died, Kyrnis--”  
The Nobek grinned and held up a hand. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”  
“What?”   
“Sweetness, I have a great story to tell! And maybe even a new scar, if that damned attendant of Larsa’s didn’t make it too easy to heal.” He gazed down at her, his leonine face bright with his blazing eyes. “I got to rescue my love from a Tragoom and a cave-in all in the space of minutes!”  
His love. “Yes. About that. You need to tell Gok and the others that I’m not your clanmate. They seem to think I belong to you.”  
“You do.”   
She grimaced at Denar. “Don’t. I feel bad enough. After all I’ve put you through, you don’t need to pretend. I know there’s no clan bond between us. And you can’t want me after the boneheaded stunts I’ve pulled.”  
“Not true.” Tynevek lifted the tablet with her chart from the end of her bed. He handed it to her. “This is what we told the intake staff.”  
She looked at the form, which was shifting from Kalquorian to English in its translation mode. “Matara Susannah Talcott. Assimilated Earther female under the exclusive protection of Clan Denar. All inquiries to be shared with Dramok Denar. All medical inquiries and treatments to be cleared through Imdiko Doctor Tynevek of Clan Denar. All matters of security and privacy to be shared with Nobek Kyrnis of Clan Denar.” She stared around at them. “Exclusive protection?”  
Denar looked wickedly pleased. “You are our ward for the time being. That form is binding until we all agree it should end, a period not to exceed two Earth weeks. We told the intake officers that you were not really competent to decide at this point. Fortunately, we are well-trusted here. They took us at our word without subjecting you to an immediate psychological examination. You will stay with us and you will include us in all your decisions as long as this agreement is in place.” Denar looked at her with dark intent. “All decisions, Susannah. You will come to us and talk with us and you will not keep secrets from your guardians. Do you understand?”  
“But--”   
“Not up for discussion, sweetness. You signed it back at intake.”  
She blinked at Kyrnis’s growl, then stared at the tablet. That was her signature, all right. She really had been incompetent when they brought her in. They had tricked her and their superiors into naming them as her guardians. She looked into each of their gorgeous faces. Did they really want her? Really love her? She had done the stupidest things imaginable and they had forgiven her. They had taken her back into their circle, made a way for her to be with them. Did they have anything else in mind?   
Denar gave one of his purely evil chuckles. “Ah, you’re catching on. You can break the rules, little scholar, and we will forgive you, but don’t imagine you can escape the consequences.”  
She froze. All three of them suddenly looked like those wolfen predators she’d come to know in the storehouse, those times when they’d stalked her and carried her off to their bed. Only moreso. She felt suddenly frightened and aroused. She scented...cinnamon?   
They really had forgiven her! She burst into tears. All three of them looked startled, then dismayed. “Oh, you big goofs!”  
Denar bridled. “Excuse me?”  
She lifted wet, shining eyes. “Thank you. It’s like I said. You are my knights in shining formsuits. My darling ones.”   
She opened her arms and after a stunned second, they filled in around her, kissing her and cuddling her and petting her everywhere they could reach.   
“Ah-hem.”  
They halted before any clothing came off. A ferocious-looking man in hospital coat and badge stood in the doorway. Susannah grinned at him. “Dramok Doctor Admek, I presume?”  
Admek chased away the clan, which made Susannah hold him in great respect and awe. He was evidently very territorial about his patients, even the ones who were in his care only as a formality. He grilled her about her health, reviewed her chart, scowled over her ankle. Before he left, he eyed her sharply. She was so reminded of Denar, she almost giggled.   
“This clan is not pressuring you, Matara.” He pronounced it like an edict, not an inquiry into her well-being.   
“No, Doctor, they’re not.”  
“If they are, I will report them at once. We cannot allow our evac teams to take advantage of the Mataras we rescue. They have been trained. They know the rules.”  
“I know the rules, too, Doctor. Clan Denar made them very clear to me when we were trapped together. I care for them. I want to be with them. They are---dear to me.”  
He regarded her with skepticism. “I hope you mean that. If I find they’ve been false in their intentions, that you’ve come to harm--”  
Once again, she almost giggled. The man was acting like a protective papa. Admek might be a formidable force but his heart was in the right place. Sheesh. These Kalquorians were supposed to be such terrible beings and yet she kept coming across the most warm-hearted people she ever could have imagined.   
She recalled the battles in the woods and amended that. They were warm-hearted until someone threatened one of their own. Then, you saw the creatures Earthers called the most vicious, single-minded warriors in the known universe.   
Maybe that was just fine with her.  
Not long after Admek had left, Gok came in, guiding an Earther woman on a hover-stretcher. She waved breezily at Susannah, then swept her hand toward her own bed. “Set me there, my good man. And see that those peeled grapes I ordered are here, chop-chop.”  
Gok’s grin split his face and his dark eyes crinkled. “Yes, your royal highness. I will also have the humming-bird tongues sent with the grapes.”  
Susannah watched with a wondering smile. Gok settled the woman into her bed, gently but competently lifting her legs up and arranging them so he could swing the large medical unit over them and switch on its humming processors.   
Gok turned to Susannah. “Matara Susannah, this is Matara Linda. You and she will be roommates tonight.”  
“Hey there!” Linda was about five or so years older than Susannah, with a mop of brown curls and big gray eyes. She had a smile like mischief incarnate. “Welcome to Gok’s Harem!”  
Susannah blinked. “Thanks. I think.” She looked at the Imdiko, who was smiling but had colored up, just a bit.   
“Now, Matara Linda. You promised to be sweet.”  
“I am sweet. Sweet as pie a la mode.” Linda leaned a bit to see Susannah. “Gok rules over six women. He has to wear roller skates to keep up with all of us, but he aims to please.”  
“I have six Earther Mataras in my care unit,” Gok explained. “And I do not wear the rolling skates.” He puffed up, his eyes merry. “I am Kalquorian. We work fast.”  
Linda laughed outright and Susannah grinned. Gok looked dismayed. “Did I say it wrong?”  
“No, not from what I’ve seen,” Linda chortled. “You Kalquorians do work fast. And you can run, too.”  
Gok rolled his eyes. “The double meaning. I get this.” He wagged his finger at Susannah’s roommate. “You must behave or I’ll report you to Dramok Admek.”  
Linda still grinned but she held up her hands in surrender. “God, no. Anyone but Admek. The man’s worse than my old granddad. I’ll behave, Gok.”  
“Very well. I have to make one more adjustment...” Gok concentrated on the many dials and readouts on the medical tent covering Linda’s legs. “There. You are all set. I have to check on Matara Delia, then I shall be back to take your dinner order.”  
He bowed quickly to both women, then hurried out the door again. Linda turned to Susannah.   
“Isn’t he just the cutest?” She wriggled a bit to adjust her pillows behind her back. “I tease him all the time and he just blushes and stammers. But if we need the tiniest thing, Gok’s here in a flash and he can take charge like a general if one of his Mataras is out of line.”  
Susannah grinned. “Sure he’s not a Dramok?”   
Linda shrugged. “I kind of doubt it, though I’ve heard there are some who are two breeds at once. No, I think Sweetie Gok is all Imdiko.” She nodded in approval. “Sounds like you know a little bit about our hosts.”  
“Yes, I was with a rescue team for a while. It, uh, took time for them to get me here.” She eyed the other woman’s bed. “You’re not here to be processed overnight, are you?”  
“Nope. I got crossways with an Earther gang from just north of here. They thought my little niece should come with them. I disagreed. They shot at both my knees but Tina got clean away. Fast runner. She came and found me after they’d gone and we made it a good two miles down the road before the boys from base found us. That was a lonngg two miles, I tell you.”  
“I can imagine.” No wonder her legs were covered with medical controls. “Were you scared the Kalquorians were going to--you know?”  
“Rape us and take us up into space to be their sex slaves and baby-ovens?”  
Susannah nodded. It sounded pretty silly when she said it out loud.  
“For about ten seconds. Then one of them, a big, burly guy with a face like one of those statues on Easter Island, knelt down beside me and apologized for any pain I might have suffered because he and his crew couldn’t get past those murderous raiding parties all along the outskirts of the city. He was bleeding in two places. They’d had to fight their way out to get to us. He looked like he was going to bawl because he wasn’t fast enough when they spotted us from the air! Well, they just put me on a hover-stretcher, hustled us onto their shuttle and took us here. The big guy never once let off patting my hand and apologizing, through the whole intake process. All that bowing and smiling!” She blinked at Susannah. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to start babbling. Sometimes the pain meds make me a little loopy.”  
“You don’t sound loopy at all.”  
“How’d you get here? Did you come in on your own? No, you said a rescue team helped you?”  
“Yes, a rescue team.”   
“Good for you. You don’t have to worry. If these guys do plan to harm us, then they’re the best actors who ever lived and they’ve spent more money than Midas on their sets and props.”  
Gok returned with a floating tray table. He guided it up to Susannah’s bedside and helped her sit up more comfortably.   
“I feel like I’m taking a bed from someone who really needs it.” She pointed out to the hallway. “I could just as well sleep on a cot or on the floor--”  
Gok’s look was pure horror. “No, Matara! That would not be right. Everyone who is processed into the base stays the night in medical. Standing orders.”  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be ungrateful, I just don’t want to be a burden. If you’re sure, then I guess it’s okay.”  
“It is oh-kay.” His look was wry. “Doctor Admek would have me flayed alive and staked out on an ant hill if he thought I’d allowed one of the Mataras to sleep on the floor.” He laid out a napkin for her and waved to the food. “Eat what you wish. If you need anything else, just speak into the com unit on your bed.” He beamed. “Your clan said they will return this evening, Matara. They had to attend debriefing sessions and make reports, of course.” He shrugged, surpressing a smile. “Paperwork. Your Nobek was not amused.”  
He was gone again. Susannah looked up to see Linda staring at her, round-eyed. “Your clan?”  
Susannah shook her head. “No! No. I do not have a clan. I--the team that rescued me happens to be a clan.”  
“Wow. But why does Gok think you’re their Matara?”  
“Well, for some reason, they decided to make me their ward, temporarily. I don’t have family or anything like that, so they just...just want to be sure I’m taken care of.” She coughed and took a sip of her water. Linda watched her, a tiny frown turning down the corners of her mouth. She shrugged and then Gok was back, ready to take Linda's meal order.  
Susannah’s appetite returned. She ate the good food Gok had brought her, laughed and chatted with her roommate about the staff and about their experiences with the Kalquorians so far. She wondered where her “guardian clan” was right now. Getting some much-needed rest, she hoped. Still, she missed them.   
In the morning, she woke to find all three of "her" men gathered around her bed. She blinked sleepily at them and sat up. “What’s going on?”  
“Nothing special, darling girl. We just needed to see if you were all right. You may leave the med unit as soon as you’ve had morning meal and Dr. Admek has had a chance to review your condition.”  
“Ah. Where will I go?”  
“Home.” Denar’s smile was both happy and wicked. “With us.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Fourteen

“Home?” Susannah looked warily from one to another. “To your quarters?”  
“For now,” was all the Dramok would say. As she rode along in the hover-chair that Gok and Tynevek had insisted she use for one more day until her ankle was better, she noted that the opulence of the hotel-medical space had given way to a breezeway connecting the big building to a smaller, temporary structure at the back. The clan checked in with the guard at the gate, who was doing his best, she saw, not to stare at Susannah. They passed inside and came down a dimly lit corridor with several doors on each side. They stopped at one door toward the far end and Denar spoke a word in Kalquorian that she thought meant something like a doughnut, though she could have been confused. The door slid open and Kyrnis scooped her up from the chair and carried her inside. It was dimmer in here, too.   
“No lights?” she murmured.   
Tynevek chuckled. “Our optic nerves work optimally in lower light than you need as an Earther. This is how we like it, but we can add more light if you wish.”  
“No.” She looked around at them from her place in Kyrnis’ arms. “This is your home. You should keep it just as you like. I can adjust.”  
“Thank you, little one.” Kyrnis put her down on the big sofa and scooted a cushioned stool toward her so she could elevate her foot.”  
“We wish to talk to you, Curator.”  
She blinked at Denar. Curator? Uh-oh.   
“We need to establish some rules if you are to be our ward.” Denar stood tall, his arms crossed over his chest. He was definitely in his head of the clan mode. “First of all, you will remember that we love you.”  
He said it with such a serious look she almost giggled. She held it in and nodded.   
“You will say ‘Yes, Dramok’ when you reply to me, Susannah.” His deep growl almost rumbled in her own diaphragm. “In our quarters, you will treat me with respect.”  
“Yes, Dramok.” She stared up into his keen gaze, waiting.   
“You will, as we said, discuss everything with us. Everything. We can’t help you or care for you if you keep secrets from us. Understood?”  
She wanted to ask if the same rule applied to them but decided against it, given that growly tone. “Yes, Dramok.”  
“You will stay in contact with us all day, all night, all the time.”  
“Even if I--”  
“All the time. You will have a com unit and you’ll wear it all the time. We expect you to check in with at least one us often, no matter what.”  
It had been a very long time since she had had to answer to anyone. But she had agreed to no secrets. She would just have to take it. None of the three looked willing to negotiate. Or compromise. “Yes, Dramok.”  
He lifted his chin. “You may have your own room, if you wish. Our arrangement is for us to be your guardians, no matter what.”  
She looked down at her hands. Not sleep with them? How could they say they loved her and not want her to be with them? What did she really want? Things were getting so complicated.  
“You may share with us, too, Curator.” Kyrnis’ voice was equally authoritarian but she realized they really were giving her a choice. This was no longer their faraway idyll in the storehouse. This was real life.   
“Yes, Nobek.”  
“Yes, what, Susannah?”  
“Yes, Nobek. I want to sleep with you three.”  
She peeked up to see all three of them soften their stances, ever so slightly. Had they been bracing themselves for rejection? Oh, she had a lot to make up for, that was clear.  
“You will submit to our decisions, Susannah. There will be times when you must do what we tell you without question, do you understand?”  
“No, Dramok.” She raised her hands as he bridled. “You wanted me to be honest with you. I don’t understand.”  
“I see. We are not tucked into a cozy storehouse. We are in the middle of a war zone. You could be in danger at any time, from many different threats. We need to be able to trust that you’ll do as we say, at once, so we can protect you.”  
“Yes, Dramok.”  
“You are free to be in our quarters or in the Atrium area, or one of the other public areas of the center. There are many things to do in the center. We will have to be on duty so we can’t expect you to stay cooped up in here. But you will still check in with us on a regular basis if you are alone.”  
“Yes, Dramok.”  
“Can you follow these rules, Susannah?” Tynevek’s voice was quiet but clear and firm.   
“Yes, Imdiko.”  
“If you’re to live with us, you have to be willing to submit to the rules of the clan. Can you do that?” Denar’s eyes pierced her.  
“I can, Dramok.” Even though she really had no choice. She was their “ward.”  
“Very well. Then you need to know that behavior like yours outside the storehouse is completely against our rules. You were willful, secretive, and careless.”  
She swallowed. She felt guilty enough. Did he have to rub it in?  
“You know now that it was wrong?”  
“Yes, Dramok.”  
“Do you know why?”  
“I-I think so. I put you all in danger, you and the other members of the rescue squad. I made you chase after me. I ran away and left you all under attack. I almost got Kyrnis killed in the storehouse entry tunnel.”  
“Is that all?”  
Wasn’t that enough? “I suppose I also lied and kept secrets from you.”  
“You also did not come to us and tell us what you were thinking and feeling. You treated us like strangers who meant nothing to you.” Tynevek’s beautiful mouth turned down.   
“You said you wanted us to be your clan while we were with you. If you had been truly willing to live with a clan, you wouldn’t have gone off on your own. If you were our Matara, we would have looked like fools to the other men, be seen as males who couldn’t take care of their woman. A Kalquorian clanmate’s behavior directly affects the image of his or her clan.”  
She gulped and nodded at Kyrnis’ words. Yet another way she’d messed up. “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t much, but it was all she had.  
“Did you understand what it might do to us if we lost a Matara we were sworn to rescue? How it would be for us to face that?” Kyrnis’ voice held a sudden, desperate note.  
She covered her cheeks, stricken. “I’m so, so sorry.” Tears were imminent.  
“Truly?” Denar moved a step closer.   
“Truly, Dramok.”  
“Then you will be ready to accept our discipline.”  
She gulped. What did that mean? Denar’s look was granite hard, but there was a spark of light in his eyes.   
“Are you ready, Susannah? This is how it is within a clan and for now, you are in our clan as our ward.”  
“Y-yes, Dramok.” Oh, God, what had she gotten herself into now?  
“Then you will undress.”  
She stared from man to man. All of them wore serious, implacable expressions. Did she dare disobey? Did she want to?  
Her hands rose and gathered the hem of the loose fleece tunic she wore. Gok had taken all of her own clothes to be washed, so she wore no bra underneath. There was a soft hiss of breath as her breasts were bared to them.   
“Very nice, Matara. Now the pants.”   
She kicked off the soft shoes she’d been given and rose from the couch. Tynevek put out his hand to steady her. With all those hot eyes upon her, she pushed down the blue pants that were the uniform of all the refugees on the medical unit. She had no panties, either, so when she stepped out of the pants, she was naked before them. She couldn’t help the gooseflesh that rose on her arms, not because the room was cold, but because there was something exciting about being the very vulnerable naked one in a room full of fully-dressed males. Males, she noted with another shiver, who had growing erections.   
But what was their plan?  
Denar strode to the couch and took a seat. She turned to face him. He patted his thighs. “Come here, Susannah.”  
She hesitated. His eyes narrowed. Tynevek spoke up. “Across his lap. Face down.”  
She cast a wide-eyed glance at the Imdiko, who looked as firm as a Nobek. She looked to Kyrnis, her defender. His look was equally stern. She bit her lip and made herself obey. Moving slowly, she came to stand beside Denar. She bent over. Denar supported her gently, guiding her down until she was lying across his lap, her head down, her breasts hanging over, her ass in the air. Her toes just met the floor. Denar’s hand was in the center of her back, steadying her. She could not relax, even so. She knew what was coming.   
“Disobedience is met with punishment, Susannah.” Denar’s voice was deep and dark. “You will receive ten spanks from each of us for the danger you put yourself in and five more from each for the danger in which you put others.”  
Oh, God. She’d never been spanked in her life. This was humiliation, not just punishment. She tried to struggle up. “No! Spankings are for children.”  
A scant second later, a big hand slapped her ass, with a resounding whack. She started as her flesh was suddenly on fire. “That hurt!”  
“That hurt, what, Susannah?”  
“That hurt, Dramok!” This was crazy! She was obeying his protocol even after he’d smacked her bottom. His hand held her in place, stopping her struggles.  
“It’s supposed to hurt, little one.” Kyrnis’ voice matched Denar’s silky darkness. “This is punishment. You’re supposed to feel it.”  
“And learn from it,” Tynevek added.   
She sulked. “I’ll learn that you like to hurt me.”   
Wham! “I do not like to punish you, Susannah.” Denar’s tone was severe. “I like spanking a pretty ass, yes, and yours is truly lovely, but this is not playtime. Physical discipline is part of our way. You wish to be with us, then you will learn to behave.” He caressed her ass, gently, despite the harshness of his words.   
Oh. So he was done. “I understand, Dramok.” She started to lift up.   
His big hand pushed her back down, raising her ass even higher. “Count, Susannah. Fifteen.”  
Wham! She fought against tears as the burn spread across her tender flesh.   
“Count.” Kyrnis sounded both angry and firm. Wham! She jerked. “The count is one, Susannah.”  
“One!” She was tempted to correct his math, but she choked out the word. Wham! “Two!”  
Now Denar began to pepper her ass with smacks, barely giving her time to gasp out the count. She was ragingly angry and it hurt like hell. His strikes ranged all over her cheeks, sometimes even striking what she found was the very tender underside of her buttocks, right at the juncture of her ass and thighs. Tears ran down her face, dripped onto the floor. “Fifteen!”  
Denar stopped and held her still. Once again, his hand caressed her so gently, but she still stung. There was fire where he’d spanked her.   
“So pretty.”  
She froze. She felt Denar bend and kiss the small of her back.   
“A lovely pink, my Dramok.” Tynevek sounded like he was studying a classic portrait in the storehouse art gallery.   
“Excellent work.” Great. Now Kyrnis was chiming in. “But this isn’t play, my Dramok.”   
She was beginning to re-think turning down her own room. She hated them. Why had she thought-- Denar pulled her up until she was sitting on his lap. “Ow!” Even the smooth formsuit he wore abraded her riled flesh.   
He kissed her forehead, briefly, then stood her on her feet. “You’re right, Kyrnis. She’s yours, my Imdiko.”  
Tynevek took a seat and Denar guided her down onto his lap. Why wasn’t she fighting back?Tynevek smoothed aside her hair and ran a hand down her back. She sighed and relaxed. Tynevek was her sweetheart. Her tenderest lover.  
“Imdiko. You’re not helping.” Kyrnis again. The man was a stickler.  
“Sorry, my Nobek.” Tynevek pressed a hand to her back and snapped, “Count!”  
Susannah shrieked as his lightning fast spanks shoved her to a whole new level of pain. Where was her sweet Imdiko now? She lost the thought as she struggled to keep count.   
Her bottom was past warming. Her breasts tingled where they rubbed against the Imdiko’s lap. Her tears still fell but she was past sobbing, too. She just let herself endure and count.   
At last, it was over. Tynevek was silent. Was he still angry? He lifted her up and she felt his erection against her stomach as she rose. She looked up and saw a crowd of emotions in his amazing face. He looked angry, yes, but he also looked deeply hurt, as if he’d been the one who’d taken the spanking. He also looked--and his erection substantiated it--aroused. She felt herself heat even more, and in other places, at the scent of his arousal. God, even when he’d spanked her, she was still so ready to be taken.   
Tynevek steered her onto Kyrnis’ lap. The Nobek’s voice rumbled out. “Hold onto my leg, Susannah.”  
She hesitantly put her hand on his muscular calf. She tensed in anticipation of his first strike. God, Kyrnis was unbelievably strong. How would she survive?  
“No, little one. Relax as much as you can. Being tense makes it hurt more.”  
Oh, wonderful. Advice from her tormentor. Still, she tried to do as he asked. “Yes, Nobek.”  
White hot pain sheeted across her ass. She shouted out “One!” Tears spurted once more.  
“Very good. Now, relax.”  
She shrieked out the count as Kyrnis blistered her behind. After the first few, she managed to relax a little and found his advice was, in fact, sound. Still, she dug her nails into his leg, which she clung to now with both hands. Suddenly, she was sobbing. She wanted to howl at the way she’d hurt them, at her stupid, impulsive actions. She did love them, and yet she’d treated them like enemies. Tears poured down her face as she clutched Kyrnis’ leg.   
Suddenly, she felt something else change. Kyrnis hadn’t let up but she had, in some way. His big, callused hand met her ass with power but she was suddenly feeling a little floaty, almost content. She still knew she was being spanked but it also felt right. Exciting. She felt his huge erection at her hip and felt another flush of arousal. Images of the Nobek pulling her onto his huge cocks drifted through her mind and she almost smiled. Her pussy was somehow connected to her ass, now, and she almost wriggled up to meet the last few strikes.   
“Count or I add five more, Matara.”  
She’d been so distracted by the new feelings she’d missed the count. His voice just barely registered through her fog of arousal but she decided it was a good idea to obey. Hell, it was just fine to obey her big lion. “Fourteen!”  
Wham!   
“Fifteen!” Oh, so nice. Maybe five more would...  
Kyrnis leaned over to look at her. He grunted in surprise. “By the ancients, Denar, she’s in subspace.”  
She felt Kyrnis’ hand, hot from spanking her, separating her thighs. He stroked gently over her feminine flesh, moving slickly up and back. His deep chuckle was wicked and happy. She wiggled, trying to get him to touch her more, deeply. He patted her shoulder.   
“Come, sweetness. Punishment’s over. Though I wonder how much you learned about disobeying us.”  
“Check her, Kyrnis. She needs care.”  
He pulled her up and cuddled her against his chest. He lifted her chin with one finger and studied her eyes. “She’s fine, my Imdiko.”  
She smiled up at him. Yes. She was fine.   
“Damn.” Denar sounded only mildly disgusted. “We try to punish her and she turns it into arousal. I think my cocks are going to be hard for a week.”  
“She’s a treasure.”   
She looked up into Tynevek’s soft gaze. “I am?”  
“Oh, yes. We are going to have such fun playing, my beauty.”  
“Oh.” She dropped her head onto Kyrnis’ shoulder and snuggled in. He chuckled and stroked her breast. So, so nice.   
“Denar?” Kyrnis rumbled.  
Denar sounded choked. “Tynevek and I have to report in five.”  
“Shit.”  
“It’s better this way. We don’t want to send the wrong message. As you say, this was punishment.” Denar squatted down and took her hand. “Look at me, Susannah. We have to leave. You will stay here and rest. Tynevek will check you before we go and Kyrnis will be with you until his shift is called. Are you all right?”  
She nodded. Her body was loving the scent of sex rising from the men. “Yes, Dramok,” she remembered to say at the last moment.   
“I’ll take her.”   
Kyrnis rose and handed her over to Tynevek. Denar held her hand. “Your ass is going to be very, very sore, Susannah. And though you’re aroused, you’re not going to get any satisfaction today. Remember what happened out there. Don’t try to trick us again.”  
“Yes, Denar.” She was still clinging to the last clouds of bliss, but she understood what Denar was telling her. She met his eyes briefly, then turned them down. It was hard to see his disappointment in her.   
Tynevek laid her face down on the big lounger and ran his hand over her ass. “Very hot and red. But I don’t see any bruising.” He helped her sit up and she grimaced as her sore flesh met the upholstery. “Please remember how this feels, Susannah. I don’t want to do this again.”  
She looked up and saw genuine distress in Tynevek’s eyes. He gave her a curt nod and swung away to join Denar on his way out the door.   
“I don’t want to do it again, either.” Kyrnis stood above her. “But I will, if I have to. You will learn this lesson.”  
She was beginning to lose that strange high. Her mouth turned down. “You think I’m a child. You appoint yourselves my guardians without even asking me. You spank me like a child.”  
“Trust me, Susannah. We do not see you as a child. I’m still hard from holding you and looking at your ass.” He gave a pointed, downward glance. She saw it was true. The bulge that strained at his formsuit was large and impressive. Despite her pain, she felt an answering throb in her pussy.   
“Our clan is not interested in having sex with a child. It doesn’t appeal to us, in any way. You should know, on our world, anyone convicted of interfering with the safety, peace, or innocence of a child can expect our harshest punishment. And we Kalquorians can be very, very harsh. Denar, Tynevek, and I have no issue with those laws.”  
She caught the knife-edge of controlled rage as he spoke the words. She guessed he himself would gladly dole out such a punishment to anyone caught in that offense.  
“We see you as you are. We see a bright young woman who hasn’t had much experience in the world. One who has been alone. One who’s forgotten what it means to be part of a group. One who can be selfish at times.”  
His blunt words stung, though there was no anger in his face or his voice. He was right. She had been thinking like she was the only one who mattered. She had acted that way. She might not be a child but she felt very small at that moment.   
“I’m sorry. I can’t stop saying that but I don’t know what else I can say.”   
“I believe you.”  
“Can I hug you again?”  
“No, little one. Not until Denar’s satisfied you’ve received the message.”  
“Is he going to spank me again?”  
Kyrnis paused. “Do you want him to?”  
She started. “Wh-what?”  
“You might have hated us for hurting you in that way, but toward the end, you discovered something about yourself, am I right?” His face lightened, just a bit. “You were very happy and aroused by the time I finished with you, yes?”  
“I--I suppose.”  
“Oh, you definitely were. You were creamy wet, my little scholar, remember? I bet it felt like you were floating in a cloud.”  
She frowned. “Yes, it did. What does that mean?”  
“Do you remember me telling Denar you were in subspace?”  
“Yes. How can that be when we’re still on Earth? I’ve never even heard of a sub-space.”  
He smiled. “It isn’t in space. It’s inside you. Subspace is how a person who is submissive by nature feels after a session of pain, delivered by someone he or she trusts.”  
“Oh!” This was what Denar had told her. Pain and pleasure could exist in the same act, making it more exciting. It had also felt a little like the effects of their bites. “I’m submissive?”  
“You are when it comes to sex, sweetness. I think we’ve known all along, but we couldn’t be sure. We didn’t think we had a right to test you further than that one time with Denar.”  
“There’s a test?”  
Kyrnis’ laugh was deep and genuine. “You would score at the head of your class, scholar, trust me.” He sobered. “But don’t worry. We won’t do anything to our little love that she doesn’t want.”  
She huffed. “Like spanking me?” Still, she liked those words: our little love.  
He chuckled. “That was punishment. Later, we’ll see about spanking for fun.” He rose and held out his hand. “Come. You need to rest.”  
“Can I get dressed?”  
His eyes narrowed. “No. I think I’m entitled to at least look at those sweet breasts even if I can’t touch them.”  
“Entitled?”  
“Yes. Did you think it was easy to punish you?”  
“Then why--” She stopped. He’d already made clear why they’d spanked her. It was time to let it go. “Where can I lie down?”  
He guided her to their sleeping room. The sleeping mat was starkly made up but it was large enough to easily accommodate the entire clan. Maybe with room to spare for a female?  
He hung back, as if he didn’t trust himself to touch her in this intimate space. She climbed onto the bed and slid under the blanket. He towered over her.   
“Sleep. Later, you might be very glad you did.” He softened. “And you need to let your ankle heal.”  
“Yes, Nobek.” She bit her lip, wanting so much to have him come and cuddle with her. Really, her body was incorrigible. So was her heart, it seemed.  
He left the room with a small, choking sound. She settled into the huge bed and stared at the dim light globes floating against the ceiling. She wondered how they stayed up there. She wondered how long it would be before she had to decide what to do next. She needed information. She needed to know what had really happened and what the Kalquorians were planning to do. But she was not going to run away again.  
She woke to the sound of someone moving about the room. She peered into the semi-darkness. She started up, then gave a cry as her sore ass complained.   
“Here, beauty.” Tynevek gently turned her over, pulling back the blanket. “It won’t be long until Denar gets back. Then I can treat you. For now, stay on your stomach.”  
“Are you going away?”  
“Just to the kitchen. I came to make you midday meal.”  
“Oh.” She twisted her head so she could see his face. “You’re not going to--I mean, it’s punishment time...”  
His handsome face softened. “Did you think we were going to starve you, sweetness?”  
“Well, bread and water, at least.”  
He smiled. “No. We’re not interested in harming you. And you are not our prisoner.”  
He brought her food and helped her sit up just enough so he could feed her. She almost teared up again at the tender way he performed what she knew was a special task for him. She took every bite he gave her and drank her juice pack.   
He let her get up after her meal, but, like Kyrnis, he refused to allow her to wear clothing. The place was comfortably warm, so she gave in with good grace. After all, the men had seen every inch of her body by now.   
She wandered about their quarters while Tynevek did the washing up and sat down at his computer to do some work. He motioned for her to come close and gave her a handheld. “There’s a lot of information available on Armageddon and what has been happening since the end of the war. I know you’re curious and you have a right to know all.”  
She thanked him and started to walk away. He took her arm, gently. “No, you stay here where I can see you.”  
“Really? You don’t trust me after all that?” She looked down at herself, then around the room. Her clothing was nowhere to be seen. “Where am I going to run off to stark naked?”   
His eyes sparkled. “I’m just exercising my rights as your guardian. I have to stand guard over that pretty little stark naked body.”  
She felt something warm curl around her heart. This was her Imdiko. Her beast. Those sparkling purple eyes were absolutely feasting on her breasts. She softened but couldn’t resist the chance to tease him, just a little. “Yes, Imdiko.” She stayed where she was but turned her back to him.   
She heard a familiar growl. “If you think I don’t like seeing your sweet ass, beauty, you’re not the scholar I thought you were.”  
She wiggled her hips.   
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. You know what happens when you challenge an aroused Kalquorian. You don’t want another swat back there, do you?”  
She gulped. “No, Imdiko.”  
“Very well. Now, I want to see the breasts I’m guarding.”  
She turned back to face him, contrite. “I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”  
“You are good, sweetness. Just a bit of a brat.”  
He began tapping at his computer. She set the handheld to translate to English and began to search. She didn’t have long to wait to find some of the most horrendous vids and news articles imaginable. Cities blown to bits, great monuments toppled, buildings, homes, transportation, schools, businesses, houses of government obliterated by the blasts. People’s bodies vanishing in the explosions, torn to shreds, just so much debris. Ruin and fire and terror. Then, madness, as the world that was left tried to deal first with the disasters, then with the reality that all laws and norms of their society had been wiped away, like a hand sweeping chess pieces off the board. It wasn’t pretty. Terrified Earthers were reduced to their most primitive, animal instincts, for the most part. Looting and killing and fighting were rampant. Here and there, she saw people trying to help, medical personnel struggling to give aid, people sheltering shocked and weeping children. Many cursed the Kalquorian Empire. Some people, newly freed, many of them women from the labor camps and prisons, blessed them, even as they faced the devastation of the planet. At least they were out from under the government’s fist.   
But where were the Kalquorians in all of this? There were no vids of the aliens amid that destruction. She was about to ask Tynevek, when she came across the vids of Browning Copeland that had come through in the aftermath. At first, he swore the Empire had been the authors of Earth’s doom. Then, stories had slowly begun to leak, she learned. Just as she had surmised, there had been no Kalquorians on the planet or in orbit over Earth until after the explosions. How had they managed to enact such a monumental attack from on the ground?  
Then came Leader Copeland’s admission. He confessed to having rigged the nuclear devices stockpiled around the world so they would detonate if the enemy breached the vortex. He had done it, he said with tender sorrow, for the sake of their souls. For the sake of their bodies which would have been violated by the monsters. For the sake of their minds, which would have been poisoned with the aliens’ godless, debauched values. From what she could gather, he had indeed said all this from the safety of a ship far away from Earth and the destruction he had wrought.   
How much was true? How much of what the Kalquorians were allowing to be broadcast was fact and how much was some sort of crazy propaganda? Had these vids been altered?  
She glanced at Tynevek, where he sat working. Images and numbers and words in Kalquorian shimmered in the air via the display before him. Had the aliens somehow cooked all this up, just to gain advantage over the Earthers they’d taken in so far?  
Tynevek glanced up at her and paused. He studied her face and then nodded. “Yes, it would be wise of you to doubt, my scholar. I would if I were in your place.” He sat back in his chair. “We’re taking you to meet with other Earthers this evening, if you wish to go. You may ask them anything. You may ask us anything. But in the end, Susannah, it will still come down to you. You will have to decide if we can be trusted.”  
She bit her lip. His tone was so understanding. She thought again about what Linda had said, how the Kalquorians would have to be the best actors in the known universe, with a budget to rival the riches of several planets, not to mention vast personnel, to have staged all of this. She thought of the clan and their kindness and caring. She thought of Larsa and his men, fighting to protect her. She thought of Gok and his stuffed toys, of Admek and his fatherly gruffness. How could she believe they were all working to enslave Earth?  
“Don’t decide now.” Tynevek motioned to her. “Go walk around, love. You’ve been rooted to that spot for almost an hour. You need to stir your circulation.”  
“Oh. Yes, Imdiko.”   
She heard him sigh as she moved off. She looked over her shoulder to see him watching her ass sway with open longing on his face. She pressed her lips together, smothering her grin. Yes, he might be looking to enslave all of Earth, but she suspected he might be every bit as enslaved by his lust. His lust for her. She liked that notion. It made her excited. Whatever happened, she felt certain they could at least declare a truce in the bedroom. She certainly hoped so.  
Denar and Kyrnis returned to quarters, their eyes lighting when they caught sight of Susannah in her birthday suit. Yep, lust was in the air.   
“How has she been?” Denar asked, coming to inspect his ward.   
“She’s been very sweet.” Tynevek gave her a sympathetic nod. “Her adorable ass is already healing but she’s been reviewing the news vids and stories of Armageddon.”  
“Ah. It’s hard to grasp, I know, Susannah. How are you taking all of it?”  
“I’m not sure. I think much of it has to be true. It would be a huge undertaking to create all this just as a sham. I think.”  
Denar nodded. “It would, but you’re right to be skeptical.”  
“I told her we were taking her to meet with other Earthers this evening.”  
“Good. We’ll take you to the Atrium, where much of the socializing takes place, and we will allow you to speak to them on your own. We will be watching our pretty ward, but we will not be listening in.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Now, show me that ass.”  
She sighed and turned. His big hand ran lightly over one cheek. “Still pink but no bruising. You heal quickly, sweetness.” He turned to his clan. “What do you think, my clan? She still needs the rest of her punishment, I think.”  
The rest?  
“I concur.” Tynevek’s voice was a little strained. “I’ve been looking at her lovely body all afternoon.”  
Susannah glared. He could have turned around or let her out of his sight. Or let her put on some clothes. One look at Denar prompted her to keep those thoughts to herself.   
“I say we’ve all been punished enough.” Kyrnis clapped his hands together. “I’m going to shower and then I intend to finish this lesson.”  
“You’ll have to be patient.” Denar checked his chrono. “We have only enough time to shower and have a quick evening meal before we are all to meet with Admek and then take Susannah to the Atrium.”  
Kyrnis’ look was thunderous for a moment. Then, he sighed. “All right.”  
Denar motioned to the Nobek. “Go. Tynevek, will you get food prepared? I’ll fetch Susannah’s clothing.” The men all headed to different areas.   
“What about me?”   
They all turned to look at her. All three of them groaned. Still, Denar stayed firm. “Stay there, Susannah. If you move, I won’t hesitate to spank you again.”  
They all turned and sped off. She tried sitting on the lounger and found it was tolerable, if she went gingerly and used an extra cushion. Her ankle was already fine. She heard Kyrnis running the shower, humming loudly. Denar rummaged in the sleeping room. Tynevek rattled pans and dishes in the kitchen. They were taking care of each other and taking care of her like she was one of them. Like they had when they had all been together in the storehouse. It felt good to be that way again.   
“If we weren’t pressed for time, Matara, I wouldn’t permit you to wear clothes during our meal, but that will have to wait for another time.” Denar handed her clothes to her and helped her stand. “Get dressed. When Kyrnis comes out, you may use the bath to freshen up.”  
She followed his orders and then returned to the living area. They gathered on cushions around a low table and the men took turns feeding her. The food was delicious but she couldn’t help noticing it seemed to be spiced with cinnamon. A glance around showed they were actually aroused by feeding her. She felt her own arousal begin to blossom, but all too soon the meal was over. Besides, they wanted to punish her some more. Oh, joy.   
They all helped with clean up before the clan escorted her out of their quarters to the offices of Dramok Doctor Admek. The doctor studied her with sharp eyes, his work punctuated by glares directed at Clan Denar. He invited her to sit and she hesitated. Admek’s brows drew down.  
“Is something wrong, Matara?”  
“No, I--I just would prefer to stand, if you don’t mind, Doctor.”  
Denar raised his hand. “Before you go on, Admek, you need to know that we punished Susannah today. We spanked her.”  
Admek’s dark face reddened. “What?”  
“She ran from us when we were out in the field. She endangered herself and members of the team who came to get us out. There were Tragooms in the area, as well as Earther gangs. She was almost caught in a mine collapse.”  
Admek’s gaze now swung to Susannah. “Were these men threatening you that you ran from them?”  
She couldn’t lie. “No, Doctor. I--I was--I just wanted to run back to my home.”  
“Even though you knew it wasn’t safe? Even though you knew others were in danger?”  
She hung her head. “Yes, Doctor.”  
“You’re lucky it was just a spanking. These men must be quite taken with you.” Admek’s tone was crisp and businesslike. “All right. I need to check. With your permission, Dramok?”  
“But--”  
“But is right, Susannah,” Denar said with a chuckle. “Show the doctor your ass.”  
Her face flamed but she obeyed, lowering her fleece pants just enough to reveal her cheeks to the doctor’s eyes. She waited as he carefully studied her, touched her once, then patted her shoulder. “You are in perfect shape, Matara. You will be healed by this time tomorrow. You may pull up your pants.”  
Admek performed one or two more quick tests, checked her ankle, and pronounced her once again in perfect shape. “You took good care of her, from what I can see from your report, Doctor Tynevek. Just be sure you continue to treat her with as much care. As your ward, she is a special case and you will be under scrutiny, all of you. That includes you, Matara.”  
With a final glower, he stalked out and the clan turned to Susannah. Denar stroked her hair. “You tried to protect us just then, didn’t you? You were afraid you would get us into trouble if you told the doctor we’d punished you.”  
“Maybe.” She looked up from under her lashes. “Maybe I was just embarrassed to be spanked like a child.”  
“Maybe both.” Denar smiled. “Let’s go. Evening meal is over for most people, so they will be moving into the Atrium.”  
Linda was seated in a chair with her legs propped, near the fireplace. She waved to Susannah as they approached.   
“Hi, you guys! I’m glad you could come in tonight, Susannah. This is where all the good gossip comes out.”   
Gok, who’d been standing nearby, snorted. “I’ll leave you, Matara. Just press the com if you need me.”  
Linda grinned at Susannah. “He thinks I’m much too interested in all the men around here. But honestly, can you blame me?”  
Susannah glanced up at the three men positioned behind her, then back to Linda. “No. I can’t wait to hear all about them.”  
There was a low hiss and a growl from behind. “Matara, would you like to sit down?” Denar brought a hard wooden chair around and set it beside her.  
Evil man. “No, thank you. I’ll stand for a bit.”  
“Very well. We’ll be right over there.” Denar pointed to a spot about a yard away.   
Susannah wasn’t buying into that. Kalquorian hearing was almost as keen as their eyesight. “Oh, no,” she said sweetly, “you should go over there, by the wall where Larsa’s sitting. You can see me from there just fine.”  
Denar’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll be in plain sight, Matara.”  
“I know you will.” Oh, she’d better watch it or she’d be in trouble again. “Thank you.”  
The clan moved off and Linda giggled. “Boy, do they ever have it bad for you, lady. They looked like they didn’t even trust me around you.”  
“Well, I don’t think they liked the idea that we might be talking about the other men on the base.”  
“Oh, I see! Oh, then we need to be very good, don’t we? I hear they can be very strict, if you know what I mean.”  
Did she ever. “How are you doing?”  
“I’m not bad. More treatments but they say I’m coming along fast. Lord knows their meds seem to work way better and faster than ours. They have some technology that I can’t even begin to fathom, and I worked as a nurse before all this fun began.”  
“All this fun. Right. Can I ask you a couple of questions?” She pulled over a soft-looking ottoman and lowered herself onto it.  
“Does it involve figuring out how Gok gets cuter every day?”  
“Talk about having it bad. Are you serious about him?”  
She sighed, then laughed. “Only sort of. I don’t know how I feel about the whole inter-species thing. And Gok’s an unclanned Imdiko. He’s being courted day and night by Dramoks and Nobeks. Gorgeous ones.”  
“He’s such a sweetie. He’d be a real catch, I bet.”  
“Yep. But he’s very old-fashioned or conservative or whatever. He won’t look at a female seriously before he’s clanned and, of course, rescue and evac guys aren’t allowed to fraternize with the evacuees. Plus, he has his own thing about it being a conflict while I’m under his care.” Linda heaved another sigh. “I guess I’m just gonna have to wait and see. Or hope to find someone else down the line.”  
“When I was...rescued, I was in a place where I didn’t get much news. I actually didn’t know about any explosions or bombs or anything. Can you tell me what happened?”  
“Bombs? No bombs, darlin’, except the ones that were buried under Tokyo and Beijing and Berlin...and all over the place. Any place with a lot of people and important places all clustered together, that’s where Earth gov planted all the nukes they claimed they got rid of years ago.”  
“You saw this happen?”  
Linda snorted. “If I saw it, I wouldn’t be here to tell about it. Only a handful of people made it out of those places alive. They think maybe nobody made it out of Moscow.”  
“But how do you know for sure what happened?”  
“Ah, the doubts you were talking about last night. You still think maybe it was all staged.”  
“I just don’t know what to think. I mean, everyone knew Kalquor wanted Earther females and that Kalquorians are the most ruthless fighters anywhere. They also have amazing technology, you said it yourself.”  
Linda’s curls bobbed. “I was seeing the reports coming in from the first moment it happened. There was a lot of confusion, of course, but the vids I saw didn’t look doctored in any way. I had a friend who worked making propaganda for Earth and she showed me how to tell if a vid had been messed with. I didn’t see any of that on these. And from what I saw when I was out there with Lisa, oh my god. We covered a lot of ground before our hover died. The effects are everywhere. And I met a guy on the way who was checking the radiation levels. They’re sky-rocketing.”  
“What about--” Susannah lowered her voice “--what about Leader Copeland?”  
Her companion blinked. “Copeland? That son of a bitch?”  
“Uh, maybe?”   
“He admitted it all, honey. He wanted to ‘save us.’ Right. He saved his own ass, that was for sure. He had a ship ready and waiting long before the Kalquorians even found out about the breech. He skedaddled and then came on the com system weeping crocodile tears and wishing us all good luck, suckers.”  
Linda was no longer the mischievous young woman with the crush on a cute medic. Everything about her had gone hard-edged and cold.   
“He murdered the entire planet, except for him and his chosen few. He’s the reason people have gone crazy. He did it all from his cushy little throne and then ran like a coward. Copeland’s hands are drenched in blood, Susannah.”  
Susannah studied her hands in her lap. Everything Linda had said matched with what she’d been told and what she’d researched. But could it all be a big hoax? Was there more to it?  
She glanced across the room where the clan stood with Larsa and his Imdiko. She believed in checking her facts. She’d also been trained to be skeptical about any second-hand or possibly tainted sources. In this case, though, she didn’t think there was any way she could prove that what she was seeing and hearing was false. There was no way she could go out into that mad world she’d glimpsed and find unbiased sources. It was risky and probably fruitless.   
As she had thought before, and as Tynevek had said, it came down to her. She looked at Denar, with his ramrod straight posture and broad shoulders. At Kyrnis, her big lion. At Tynevek, her sweet beast. She was almost sure…   
“Thanks for talking with me, Linda. Are you going to be okay?”  
Linda’s smile came out like sun from behind clouds. “I’m gonna be fine. Better than fine. I’ve got two months before they’ll clear me and then I’m getting my ass on a transport and getting off this rock. I don’t know yet where I’ll go, but I’m not sticking around on a dead planet.”  
You’re not going to be living down here, Susannah. You’re going to be dying here! Damn Denar. God, she really did love him. Him and his clan. There was nothing fake about that.   
“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later?”  
“Sure thing, hon. You can always find me through Gok!”  
Susannah headed toward the clan. All three came to attention at her approach. Larsa and Imdiko Claf bowed to her. She greeted them and they quickly moved off to join some others playing a game across the room.   
She looked up at the clan’s faces. They were guarding their expressions. They didn’t want to press her. Or maybe they didn’t want to hear what she had to say.  
“I love you.”  
They all sagged. Denar spoke very quietly. “Truly, little one?”  
She nodded. “Is that all right?”  
Denar snickered. “Just let us maintain our professional demeanor until we get you to our quarters. Then we’ll show you how all right it is.”  
“We’re not allowed to make any public displays of affection in front of Earthers. Even between ourselves. We don’t want to upset anyone.” Tynevek’s eyes were bright, though.  
“Let’s not forget we still have a punishment to administer.” Despite his words, Kyrnis’ eyes were going to get them all in trouble if they didn’t leave soon. His gaze was about to incinerate Susannah’s clothes off, right then and there. Her skin heated from two feet away.   
“Wait.” Denar raised his hand. “What about your doubts, Susannah? Are you satisfied with the evidence you’ve seen?”  
“Not one hundred percent. But I think I have enough to go on. I believe you’ve been telling me the truth.”  
“Good enough. We have others for you to speak to, but that can wait. Let’s go.”   
They walked out of the Atrium with what Susannah felt was great dignity and decorum. They didn’t touch her, they didn’t even guide her along with a touch. They nodded to people they passed, they walked with measured steps.   
Susannah wanted to run all the way back to their quarters. She had decided. Once and for all. She loved them and she was staying with them, no matter what. Yes, she wanted to know more, to be sure about what had happened, but damn, but she wanted them.  
They ushered her into the living area, closed the door, and formed a circle around her, towering, arms crossed. She felt her mouth go dry as her heart sped up. Their dark looks were formidable. Still, she waited.   
“Clothes off, Susannah.”  
She carefully removed each item, smoothing them off her body and setting them aside. The scent of arousal was in the air but they didn’t soften their stance.   
“How’s that pretty ass?” Tynevek asked. “Show me, beauty.”  
She obediently turned and put her rear end on display for what seemed the umpteenth time that day. Tynevek stroked her softly. “We need to be gentle but I don’t think she’s in any danger.”  
“Very good. On your knees, Susannah.” Denar’s tone was absolute.   
She sank as gracefully as she could. She winced a little as her heels connected with her still-tender flesh, but the pain was small compared to the desire she was feeling.  
“Eyes down,” said Kyrnis. She obeyed, gazing at the carpet.   
Tynevek added his orders. “Hands on your thighs, palms up.”   
She positioned her hands and sat, head down, her hair falling around her face, curtaining her from their dark, dark eyes. She waited as silence filled the space, it seemed, and grew in density. They hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken. She sat, waiting. Somehow, she knew she could endure that much.   
There was a slight rustle of movement, then came the soft, purring sound that she knew was the seam of a flightsuit coming apart. Someone—or all three?—was undressing. She felt a thrill of anticipation and excitement course straight to her center at the very idea.   
A finger lifted her chin. She looked up to see Denar staring down at her with hot intent. A glance to the sides revealed the others standing very close. All three had their suits open, their magnificent, rising cocks on fully display. She felt her pussy clench and then go soft and warm and wet.   
“Very well, little one. You will complete the rest of your punishment. You will serve us.”  
She clamped down on the urge to smile. Serve them? How was that a punishment? Just the sight of them, their powerful bodies ready and waiting for her ministrations was more like a gift.   
“You will take each of us in turns. You will do whatever we ask of you. Am I clear?”  
“Yes, Dramok.”  
“All right.” Denar bent and lifted her so she was off her heels, kneeling before him. The position put her mouth exactly in line with his glistening, dark cocks. Susannah waited for her instructions.   
“You will not speak unless told to speak. You will not move except to follow our orders. You will not touch yourself in any way. You will do only what we say.” Denar wrapped a big hand around his larger cock, lifting it up. “Are you ready?”  
“Yes, Dramok.” God, was he ever going to allow her to touch him? It had been so long, far too long since they had last made love. She almost ached with desire for them.   
“Very well.”  
And so it began.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

ALIEN RESCUE  
Inspired by the Clans of Kalquor series by Tracy St. John  
Chapter Fifteen 

 

Susanna looked up at her three lovers and suddenly her heart soared. They were so gorgeous, their dark hair, deep eyes, cocoa skin. So masculine. So amazing. More amazingly, they wanted her.   
Denar, of course, took charge. “Little ward, you will pleasure each of us. Now, you will suck me, Susannah.”  
“Yes, Dramok.”  
She wrapped one hand around his primary cock and began to lick all around the head. He growled the next order. “Take Tynevek and Kyrnis in your hands. Pleasure them while you tend to me with your mouth.” He took her hand off of him and placed it on Tynevek’s gorgeous prick. She glanced up at the Imdiko. His eyes were closed, clearly savoring even her slightest touch. He really had missed her.  
“All of us, Susannah.” Denar’s tone was all command. “And I believe I said suck, not lick.”  
Hiding her smile, she reached for Kyrnis and wrapped him firmly, their eyes meeting. The big man raised his heavy brows. She eased her hand up and down the stalk, unable to wrap her fingers around his magnificent girth, yet the slick cock swelled in her grasp. The sight of it still made her wonder how her pussy ever accommodated him.   
Denar cleared his throat. She came to attention. She dutifully parted her lips and he thrust in, gently, but insistently. She closed her mouth around him, tasted his sweet, spicy essence, then whirled her tongue around his length, rubbing the vee at the head. His groan of pleasure made her own juices begin to flow.   
“I can smell her, my Imdiko.”   
“I can, too, my Nobek. She smells so sweet and salty.”  
Denar seemed unable to do anything other than moan, deep in his chest. She reveled in the sound, the sound she drew out of him simply by giving him what she herself loved. This might be punishment for her, but he was deeply into the experience. She drew in her cheeks and suckled, hard. The shout burst out of him.  
“Enough. No manipulating me, pet. I’m not ready and your sweet mouth is too tempting. Take me in your hand, and pleasure our Imdiko. Let me see him feed you his cock.”  
She turned her head and Tynevek was there, guiding his prick so it could slide into her waiting mouth. “Open wide, little love. I want to see myself on your tongue.”  
She dropped her jaw and Tynevek rubbed just the tip of his cock on her tongue. She sighed. The look on his handsome face was one of utter bliss. He slid in and out, going a little further each time. His great chest heaved as she felt his cock pulse with delight.   
“Suck me now, beauty. Take all of me.” His hand gently pressed under her chin as he moved closer, his cock going deeper, filling her almost until she couldn’t breathe. She focused on breathing through her nose, eager to take as much of him as she could. She wanted her beast to go wild with her. His demands made her own excitement surge.  
He pumped her a few times, then groaned and pulled out. “Our Nobek, now, Susannah.”  
She turned the other way and was treated to Kyrnis’ amazing, granite thickness. She greedily licked up the pre-cum shining at the tip. His big hands wove their way into her hair and he gave way to his dominance, pulling her to him and thrusting deep, almost reaching the back of her throat on the first pass. He pulled back and gently rubbed the tip in and out between her lips. Then, back in, deep, far back, until she felt the head of his cock press the back of her throat. She managed a breath, then swallowed around him.   
His shout rang in the air and he pulled out. “You imp. If your ass wasn’t already sore, I’d redden it right here and now. You don’t get to take control.”  
She lowered her head, smiling secretly. “Yes, Nobek.”  
“Denar?” Kyrnis sounded a bit desperate.   
“Yes. I don’t think I can wait any longer. We’ve all gone without you for days, Susannah.” Denar drew her up and caught her in his arms, swinging her up to carry her out of the gathering room and into the sleeping room. He motioned to Tynevek. “Lie down. Susannah, you will straddle him.”  
Tynevek wasted no time settling his lean form on the sleeping mat and reaching for her. Denar guided her up and over him, her knees on either side of his hips. Tynevek gathered her to his chest, cuddling and kissing her. Really, the man was sweetness personified. Tenderness, desire, and anticipation curled and twisted throughout her.   
“Is punishment over?” she whispered.  
She got a swat from Denar. “I didn’t tell you to speak, ward.”  
She lowered her head, contrite. That swat had made her sore ass howl in pain.   
Denar smoothed a hand over her indignant flesh. He sighed. “Yes. Punishment is ended. But you will continue to please us and serve us because we are your masters in bed, always. Clan rules.”  
Clan rules. She liked the sound of it. “Yes, Dramok.”  
She looked down at Tynevek and his beautiful smile spread at long last. He kissed her tenderly. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured against her hair. “Please don’t run from us again.”  
She lifted up and looked into his eyes. He really had been frightened for her. She felt another flash of guilt. “I won’t. I promise.”  
She felt big hands on her hips as Denar lifted her slightly. Tynevek grinned and positioned his cock at the entrance to her very wet and eager pussy. “Take me, Susannah. Take me deep.”  
She sank down on him, moaning with pure joy as he filled her. Hot, hard, living flesh stretched her, made a home within her body. She held still, quivering. If she wasn’t careful, she’d come in seconds flat. Like Denar, she wasn’t ready for that.   
“That’s what I love, beauty. Being so deep. Making you take me into that hot, welcoming cunt.” He palmed a breast. “And how I’ve missed these. Lean in, sweet one. Give me.”  
She leaned over, careful not to let him slip from within her and offered her breasts. She braced her hands on his shoulders as he licked first one nipple and then the other.   
“Tynevek! You’re killing us!”  
Tynevek took quick suck and set her back with a wicked smile. “I’m reserving a nice long session with those two lovely tits. Be ready.”  
“Can’t wait.” Her words came out breathless and hot. At least she wasn’t swatted for it this time. Still, she wasn’t about to push her luck. She pressed her lips together at once.   
Denar continued. “All right, little one. Lie down on Tynevek.”   
She went happily into his arms for more kissing and stroking. Something slipped up and down between her ass cheeks and she knew Denar was making her ready to take her ass. His fingers began the process, sliding and scissoring and rimming, widening her to accommodate him. She sensed he intended to press his larger cock into her tightest passage, an idea that made her both anxious and more excited. She did her best to relax and make herself open to him. She was eager to feel full of their cocks, full of her men, yet it had been a while since she had had any of them in that way. Had anything changed?  
“All right. I think you’re ready. I’ll go slowly and I’ll be very careful with your poor, beaten-on little ass, Susannah.”   
Ha-ha. But Denar was true to his word. He eased the head of his big prick to her tight entrance and gently rocked the tip, in and out, pressing a little bit at a time. She could have told him it was her ass that hurt, not her asshole, but her mouth was full of Tynevek’s plundering tongue. She let it pass and sighed her way to deeper relaxation, wanting to please her men. It was as if they’d sunk their fangs into her, she was so willing to submit to their desires.  
“By the ancients, you feel so good, little one.” Denar gave a final push and slipped deep, deep inside. She wanted to wiggle back, take as much as she could, get as close as she could, but she knew Denar wouldn’t permit her to have control. Feeling him and Tynevek filling her her this way was enough and the lightning sparks that tingled from her head to her toes were quick to build. It had been so long. How could she hold out?  
“Hello, my Imdiko.” She heard the smile in Denar’s voice. “You feel good, too.” He rocked a little and she realized Denar could feel Tynevek’s cock against his, separated by a thin wall of her own inner flesh.   
Tynevek hummed in bliss and answered Denar’s motions with his own. She closed her eyes, smiling. It was a delight to have them share her, connecting with each other even as they took her. She hadn’t felt that the last time the pair had taken her together. The intimacy of it was stronger than she’d ever known.  
“Open, little one.”   
Kyrnis knelt before her, both cocks in one hand, lifting her up with the other. She shivered as she came up on her hands, bracing herself on Tynevek’s chest, careful not lose the other two now that they were settled so thrillingly within her. The Nobek was asking her to take both cocks at once. She opened eagerly, taking as much as she could manage, her tongue twirling, diving into the hole where his pre-cum seeped, a reward for her acceptance. His taste was sweet-savory and spicy; delicious. She felt his big body shudder as she lavished attention on every place she could reach.  
Now Denar began to push forward, going deep. He pulled back and Tynevek forged up, up into her pussy, his cock finding that most sensitive spot inside. He withdrew, Denar slid in, forcing her clit to grind against Tynevek’s groin. She moaned. It was all too good. It was all so right. She needed them so much. She knew it now. She’d made the right choice to come with them. She couldn’t give this up. Not them. Not yet.  
Kyrnis pulled back and she whimpered her loss. He was back at once, feeding her just his larger cock, holding her temples, keeping her still as he forged his way deep, deep inside her welcoming mouth. Coherent thought was lost in the wonder of this sharing, this intense sharing, as well as the sensation of giving control to this powerful lover. Three. Three of them at once. All of them together, with her. She gasped as a wave of pleasure rippled from her head to her toes. This was heaven, to be shared by these men. To be bonded with them in this way.  
Her body was drawing up, drawing in, grasping at the delightful intrusions that were electrifying and enchanting and exciting her. She was climbing, her pussy desperate to keep Tynevek within, even as Denar pulled her ass back onto his cock, making her cry out with the strange, hot sensation. Then he was shoving her forward, making her take Tynevek again, making her take Kyrnis, too.  
“Oh, sweet girl.” Denar reached one hand around and filled it with a breast, kneading and petting. He pinched a nipple and she clenched down on both Denar and Tynevek, sobbing at the ecstasy building within. “Tynevek, Kyrnis. I can’t hold off much longer. She’s so fucking hot and tight.”  
One of Tynevek’s clever hands stole down between them and found her clit with uncanny accuracy. He stroked, rubbed, and she moaned and twisted in his grasp. Then, before she could process any of it, he pinched, hard.   
She came, screaming around Kyrnis’ cock, setting off his rich, copious climax. She didn’t even think, just took his offering, swallowing in the midst of her own crisis. He withdrew as Denar went over next, a roar shaking the ceiling as he shoved hard and released into the depths of her ass. He was just finishing when Tynevek, naughty Imdiko, pinched her poor clit once more and she went off again, thrusting against him, her whole body whipped by the winds of climax. She felt her body taken from her, melted, flung to the stars, then begin to come apart. Tynevek closed his eyes, cried out, and then he was with her, throbbing and pulsing in her pussy, filling her to the brim with cum, traveling with her to the stars. Finally, they collapsed, she on Tynevek, Denar on top of her. Kyrnis joined the pile and they all lay, breathing stormily, holding each other tightly as their hearts pounded in rhythm together. Slowly, her being reassembled and she was herself again, awash in the lapping shores of their soft caresses.   
“Oof,” she had to say at last. “Guys. Pancake time.”  
Kyrnis and Denar slid away, pressing kisses anywhere they could reach. Tynevek smiled up at her, his face a mask of bliss. She grinned. “It’s so good to be home.”  
Kyrnis brought warm cloths and they took turns, taking outrageous liberties as they gently cleaned her, then themselves. Tynevek fetched some lotion and had himself a wonderful time smoothing it over her still-roasted ass. Lying there, she was more relaxed than she could ever remember. Peace had come with her choice to surrender to this loving and see where it had taken her? She was dozing in the blissful heat of their bodies surrounding her when she heard Kyrnis ask in a none-too-quiet whisper, “How long before we can have her again?”  
The other two swatted him. She giggled. She reached out and tugged on a lock of Kyrnis’ hair. “Come and get me, big one.”  
How could he possibly be hard again after the way he’d just come? How could she be heating and softening, ready for him after the way she’d just come?  
It didn’t matter, she thought as she welcomed his big, warm body into hers. It simply…was.   
#   
She was allowed to sleep on, Denar encircling her with his heat. The other two had slipped away while they had dozed and soon trooped in with a delicious-smelling breakfast tray. Things were back in balance. It was a new day.  
As they fed her, Denar told her about their schedule. “I’m off rotation today, so I’ll be able to take you around to your appointments.”  
“Appointments? I made appointments?” She batted her lashes at him, wide-eyed.  
“They were made for you, brat.” He gave her nipple a pinch. “Behave or I’ll make you attend them just as you are now.”  
“You would not.”  
“I agree with you, Denar. Think of how delicious she smells. Like she showered in sex.” Kyrnis licked her neck and she curled into herself at the sharp, exciting sensation.   
“No, that would be bad, Denar.” Tynevek frowned. “I don’t want others catching her sweet scent. That’s only for us. See that she showers with soap and water before you go out.”  
“You’re right.” Denar eyed her with mock asperity. “You may keep your clothing and you may shower. But as soon as we get back here, you will strip again. I haven’t had nearly enough of seeing you naked.” She giggled at the adoring way he commanded her.  
“And I have to go walk the perimeter.” Kyrnis scowled at his clanmate. “Don’t you wear her out. I’ll be hungry when I get home.”  
“I will be starving,” Tynevek put in.   
The others left and Susannah was a little surprised that Denar allowed her to shower alone. He was waiting when she stepped out of the drying unit, though, and without a word, he sank to his knees and spread her legs. He plundered her with his tongue to devastating effect and her cries rang around the room.   
“No time to do more, sweetness,” he said with regret when she was finished and he held her close. “We have to see the commander in less than fifteen minutes.”  
Commander? Oh, lord, what now? More people. More strangers. She straightened her spine. She could do this, especially with Denar at her side. She would do this, obeying her guardians was getting easier.  
The command center for the the camp was set up in one of the smaller conference rooms. A pair of ferocious-looking Nobek guards stood at the doors but they bowed to Susannah and checked their tablets to confirm her identity and schedule. Evidently, her retinal and other biometric test scans were legitimate. Denar guided her inside, where several desks, arranged in an arc, faced a large vid screen that showed views from security monitors positioned in many places out on the property and indoors. Denar came to stand at attention before a stocky Kalquorian with a short, slightly graying goatee. He rose from his chair and bowed to Susannah, then accepted Denar’s salute.   
“Welcome, Matara Susannah. Be at ease, Captain.” His voice was deep and gruff, the sound somehow making Susannah think of a stiff-bristled brush. “I am Commander Kwess, head of Rescue and Evacuation Base Delta. I’m glad to see you looking so well. I trust you have been seen by medical?”  
“I have.”  
“Please sit, Matara. Join us, Captain Denar.”   
Denar pulled two chairs nearer to the commander’s desk and saw Susannah seated with a gentle hold on her arm as she gingerly lowered herself down. She looked up to see a very wicked light in the backs of his eyes. Evil Dramok, rubbing it in how her ass still stung. However, if Commander Kwess saw anything in their exchange, he hid it well.  
“I understand Denar and his clan took the unusual step of naming you as their ward, Matara.” Kwess regarded her shrewdly. “You were together in your underground facility for quite a while. Does this guardianship arrangement agree with you, Matara? If you are unwilling to continue with Clan Denar, you may say so now and we will see that you are provided with new quarters. One of our attendants will be assigned to you so you can complete the protocols.”  
Susannah glanced at Denar. His face was completely still, impassive. He wasn’t going to influence her. She blessed him for that. She nodded to the commander. “Yes. I am willing to continue as ward of Clan Denar, sir.”  
“Very well. We’ll take that as the rule for the next two weeks. We understand the decision even to come to the refugee center was not an easy one. I’m pleased that our rescue team proved themselves worthy of your trust.” The slightly pale purple cat eyes were searching.  
“Thank you, sir. I do trust them.”  
“So, there will be a series of appointments—meetings—for you so that you can make an informed decision about your future. A liaison has been assigned to you and you will meet with him a number of times to discuss everything you need to know and do. Above all, we want you to know, without doubt, that we will not force you to do anything against your will, Matara.”  
She resisted looking at the Dramok seated next to her. He might not force her per se, but when he wanted something, he was going to be as persuasive as he could manage. What might that persuasion entail, she wondered? Did he want her, after all?  
She shook herself, ever so slightly. She wasn’t going to think about that right now. She was going to be content with what she had.  
“I appreciate that, Commander. I was isolated for a long time before the team found me. And I was never part of Earth society. I did not even know much about the war until I met Dramok Denar’s clan.”  
“So I’ve read in your clan’s reports. Given your isolation, and your love of research, I am guessing you wish to learn more about the incidents that brought all this about?”  
“Yes, sir. I—I am almost convinced, but if there is more I can do, more data I can access—“  
“We’ve arranged for you to meet any and all Mataras and even some Earther males on base, as long as they themselves are willing to meet you and all abide by our rules. These include rules for behavior toward clanned Mataras, which, in essence you are at this time. We are prepared to offer you records, vids, testimony of witnesses. Also, at your Nobek’s request, we’ve slated a flight for you.”  
“Flight?”  
“When we can spare a shuttle, we will take you up and do a flyover of this sector. We cannot allow you to touch down, for safety reasons, and at any moment the shuttle might be recalled to duty. Barring those things, you are to be shown as much of the area as you wish to see. It is our one hope to see you reassured and informed.”  
She looked to Denar. “Kyrnis arranged this?”  
“He did. We all agreed it was a good idea.” He gave her a small smile. “It was the least we could do, to provide data for our scholar.”  
Kwess tapped the desktop. “You are also slated to join other newcomers at one of the regular informational seminars we present about the various places you might choose as your resettlement location. Again, we won’t insist, but we strongly encourage you to attend these. Given your background—” he gave her a small smile, “—I imagine you wish to learn all you can.”  
“Thank you. I look forward to it.”   
“Well, my little talk here was more of a formality, but I hope you will feel free to contact me if there is anything I can do to make your transition more comfortable. Your attendants and liaisons will do far more when you meet with them.”  
She and Denar rose and Kwess once more bowed to Susannah. “Matara. A pleasure. Captain, she is in your keeping. See that you do nothing to make us regret allowing your clan this unusual privilege.”  
“I understand, sir.”  
They made their goodbyes and then Denar took her out to the main corridor, where Tynevek waited. His eyes lighted up when he saw them and Susannah couldn’t help but beam back. She’d had friends and her parents in the storehouse, but she couldn’t recall anyone ever looking so pleased to simply see her. It turned her insides to butter. Was that healthy?  
“My turn to escort you, little one. Did everything go well with Kwess?”  
“He was very nice.”  
“He is a good man. He was chosen to be executive commander of the base because he has considerable skills in dealing with people of many races.”  
Susannah peeked in the small windows that allowed a view into the various meeting room/offices along the corridor. “This is a huge operation, isn’t it? And this is Delta base. There are three other refugee camps?”  
“Many more than that. We ran out of letters in your Greek alphabet and have begun naming bases by number. Our mission is to reach as many people as possible within the next year. It’s already pushing the envelope of safety from radiation but we think we can contain it or resist it for that long.”  
“You’ve done all this for Earthers?”  
Tynevek nodded. “It is the least we can do.”  
Denar left them for his shift and she and the Imdiko went on to her next appointment, which was with her liaison. He was a sweet-faced, rather boyish-looking Imdiko named Neneer. On his tablet, he had a list of tour sites and activities he wanted to show Susannah. He looked a little confused when Tynevek joined them.   
“Matara Susannah is my clan’s ward. She is a special Matara and this is a special case. She is never to be without one of my clan.”  
Neneer looked distressed. “Ward? But…Matara, this is what you wish?”  
Tynevek bristled but Susannah laid a hand on his arm. “It’s all right. I understand that being a ward is a new thing. I’m more than happy to be under the care of Clan Denar, Imdiko Neneer.”  
“Dramok Denar is your clanmate—er—guardian?”  
“Denar, and ImdikoTynevek and Nobek Kyrnis—they are all my guardians, yes.”  
There was a strange, half-wistful look in the Imdiko’s eyes, then his gaze met Tynevek’s. Her Imdiko’s face had grown dark, his mouth set in a hard line. He’d moved closer, so his chair almost touched hers. Possessive? Or protective?   
“Is there a problem, Imdiko?” Tynevek purred, sounding remarkably like his Dramok.   
The other man colored up and immediately shifted his eyes to his tablet. “No, not at all. I want to show you some of the facilities and trainers in the recreation center, Matara. After that, I will introduce you to your counselor.”  
Good Lord. There was a small army set up just to take care of her, it seemed. Was it like this for all the refugees?   
She saw that Tynevek placed himself between her and Neneer as they walked. They toured the recreation center, which had a pool and exercise equipment, though it was not as large as the one in the storehouse, she noted with a pang. Neneer kept up a cheerful commentary and they moved from the rec center to the dining halls and then to the small offices where many counselors, attendants, and liaisons had cubicles. Her personal counsellor was to be Dramok Thantazar. The tall, thin psychologist was busy with a com and waved to them to take seats in his crowded little work space.   
Neneer took his leave with a deep bow to Susannah. He gave another cautious look at Tynevek who emitted a soft growl. Neneer gulped and fled.   
She leaned toward Tynevek, brows raised. “What was that all about?”   
Tynevek hesitated, scowling. Then, he shrugged. “Neneer seems to covet everything about my clan. That includes my Dramok, most especially. I gather they knew each other once upon a time.” He positively glowered. “Now, it seems he covets our ward.”  
“Oh, I didn’t see that. He did go kind of dreamy-eyed at the mention of Denar’s name, though.”  
“Lucky for him he didn’t go dreamy-eyed around Kyrnis. If he had, the man would find one or two of his most precious body parts needing immediate medical attention.”  
“Kyrnis would do that? Just because some other guy looked at Denar?”  
“At Denar, at you, at me. It is beneath contempt to poach another man’s clanmate. We are possessive, Susannah. Even as an Imdiko, I guard what is mine. What’s more, the rules and bonds of clan are sacrosanct. You trespass on them at your peril. He should also have asked my permission to speak directly to you before we began.”  
She saw the cold glint in his eyes and knew he wasn’t just blowing smoke. If Neneer had gone any further, her gentle lover would likely have made use of his acrobatic fighting skills to provide a lesson in boundaries to the younger Imdiko. It gave her a quick shiver to think Tynevek being ready to protect her as a Kalquorian male would protect a real Matara. Wasn’t that a wonderful fantasy?  
“Are you all right with Neneer being my liaison?”  
Tynevek blew out a breath. “He’s reputed to be very good at his job. One of the best we have. But I do wonder—never mind.”  
Dramok Thantazar joined them, then, and he did look first to Tynevek for permission to address her. He was as serious and clear as Denar but with an extra warmth that made her wonder if perhaps he was one of those mixed-breed Kalquorians Linda had told her about. A fascinating phenomenon. How had that come about? What genetic orientations or mutations had to hap—  
Tynevek nudged her. “Return to us, Matara.” His eyes crinkled with amusement.   
She blushed and apologized to Thantazar. “Go on.”  
“I have materials for you to go over. You may take them with you to your quarters. You may ask your clan to answer any questions you have. Doctor Tynevek knows what sort of information we’re looking for and he’s very capable of guiding you through it. Then, at our next meeting, you and I can go over your responses.” He looked straight at Tynevek. “You and your clanmates will not be permitted to be with her for those first one or two meetings, Doctor. As you know. But you can wait for her, of course.”  
Tynevek nodded though he didn’t look happy. “I understand.”  
“I hope you know I would never do anything that would harm Matara Susannah. Nor would I do anything that would undermine either your authority as her guardian clan, nor her affections for you.” He smiled at Susannah. “And she obviously does have feelings for you.”  
She was surprised that he could tell such a thing after spending so little time with her, but she guessed that was what counsellors were trained to do: to gather clues that might reveal what lay in people’s hearts. She liked the way he’d reassured her as well as Tynevek. She was beginning to see what the nature of clan life was like and the rules that went with it. Rules that upheld their society. More to learn.  
Her final appointment was a short consultation with the nutritionist in the medical unit. She was asked about allergies and dietary needs and preferences. The Imdiko in charge of nutrition for the Earthers was very glad to include Tynevek, especially when he realized, with wide-eyed wonder, that Susannah was in Tynevek’s legal care. He and Tynevek also exchanged doctor-notes about the state of her body in more detail than Susannah thought would be necessary just for nutrition. The advisor transferred lists of recipes, menus, and food lists into the com system of their quarters. He also told Susannah all about the three dining venues on base—nothing fancy, but she could dine there or order from them whenever she wished.   
As Susannah walked back to quarters with Tynevek, she was very quiet. He gave her and anxious look. “I’m fine. Just tired.” He frowned and she went on to explain. “Not physically tired, really, but, well, it’s hard work to see and talk to so many people. I’m not accustomed to it.” She smiled. “I can handle three, though.”  
He touched her arm, quickly, smiling. “Good. Because there is no chance that we’re leaving you alone tonight. Still, when we get back to quarters, if you would like, why don’t you lie down in our sleeping room? I’ll be working and preparing midday meal. I’ll leave you to recover.”  
She felt a little selfish but she knew she’d reached her limit. She wanted to be fresh when the clan gathered that evening. She went and laid down and found a reading source created for the Mataras that held several old Earther romances. She settled in and did “comfort” reading until she felt less jangled and more ready to be social again.  
#   
The next few days were filled with activities. Exercise, orientations to the base and its rules, health checks, counseling with Thantazar, “shopping” in the base’s supply rooms for some extra clothes and personal needs. Denar whispered in her ear that she didn’t need many clothes as she would be naked most of the time they were in quarters. She laughed, then caught the very serious, hot glint in his eyes. Heat flashed through her just at the sight of his desire.   
She met with Neneer again, this time to review her options when her status as a ward elapsed. The liaison didn’t give her any assessing looks this time, but then, she was escorted by Kyrnis, who folded his arms across his massive chest and watched the Imdiko with a cool, implacable stare, a lion who isn’t sure his prey is worthy of chase, she thought. He might change his mind, of course. Neneer caught his gaze and quickly remembered to seek Kyrnis’ permission before speaking to her.  
That evening, Susannah took more alone time. She perused the notes Neneer had given to her. She had several options. The first was most obvious: she could go to Kalquor on the next transport. Neneer had provided her with vids of all the accommodations already provided for the Earthers there. They were making a huge effort to welcome them. Her other choices included being taken to an Earther colony on another world, or being taken to a Kalquorian colony that welcomed Earthers. Technically, the Earther colonies were now part of Kalquor, but Neneer had told her every effort was being made not to disrupt life there. Neneer had vids of all the possible choices. She could also, he assured her, refuse all the options and remain on Earth but he didn’t advise it.   
“Nor,” he stated, “would your guardian clan advise it, I’m sure. The toxicity levels increase daily. You would have to leave eventually.”  
She sat on her bed and contemplated the array on the tablet she’d been loaned. She still wasn’t sure she had all the evidence she needed to make this choice. The clan, however, had already anticipated her need. Denar spoke as they finished evening meal.   
“We have permission to fly tomorrow, Susannah, if you wish.”  
“Fly?”  
“It has taken some time, but we’ve been granted special permission to go up in an off-duty shuttle. It will do a flyover of many areas in this sector. We are not permitted to fly you near the epicenters but we may reach a city’s outskirts so you can see what’s below.”  
“We’re also not permitted to land.” Kyrnis fed her a bit of crunchy vegetable. “We cannot put you at risk in that way. Also, we must prepare to cut the trip short if the shuttle is called out for a rescue.”  
“Do other Earthers ask to be flown out over the region?”  
“No.” Denar gave her a ghost of a smile. “You are a special case, in almost all respects. Virtually all the Earthers who come to the base have seen or experienced the bombs and their aftermath. They know what is out there. We explained that you need more proof of Armageddon.”  
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to feel. It seemed a lot of expense and trouble to provide one person with information. Yet, she still needed to be sure before she could make a choice. “All right. Thank you.”   
She looked around at them. They were so eager to please her, to make her comfortable. What could she do for them?  
She had an idea. She rose from her cushion and walked toward the sleeping room, stripping of items of clothing and dropping them in her wake.   
They were on her before she reached the sleeping room door.  
In the morning, Kyrnis and Tynevek went with her to the shuttle bay. Denar had to be on duty. He’d kissed her soundly on lips that were still a little swollen from the previous night’s exertions.  
“Behave, Susannah. Do everything Kyrnis and Tynevek ask of you, and obey your pilot, absolutely, understood?”  
She nodded and with a surreptitious pat on her somewhat tender behind, the Dramok swung off to his shift with a decided spring in his step. She’d encouraged him to do some very naughty things to her last night and he looked well-satisfied.   
“Time to board, little one.”   
Kyrnis helped her up the gangway and they were seated in the small area behind the cockpit. He swiveled her seat so it faced an outer wall, then fastened her in securely. The pilot, a Nobek named Serr, took the ship out with a smooth, practiced sweep, and then turned on the vid display that reached across most of the wall in front of Susannah. She watched as the base fell away beneath them and they moved off toward the perimeter.   
She saw two men conferring just outside Base Entry 15. One of them she recognized: Neneer. The other was a stocky man who pointed his finger at Neneer in a way that looked threatening. Then, the shuttle veered and went over the fence and the pair were lost to sight.   
But what sights lay before her! She stared down at the areas she’d glimpsed on the way in, with the barriers and graffiti and wrecked vehicles. A small contingent of Kalquorians were jogging down a lane, heading toward a ruined neighborhood in the small town. They flew on, and she saw that the glimpses she had were nothing compared to what lay beyond.   
“Oh. Oh, god.”  
With a quick glance at Serr’s back, Tynevek took her hand. “Is it too much?”  
She shook her head. She could take it. But the sights below them twisted her heart.   
It was a nightmare. She could never have imagined these things and she knew no one could have staged them. Ruined buildings, burnt out city centers, farms overtaken by armed vehicles. Roads that had been suddenly barricaded and sentry posts mounted beside them, where Earthers with weapons stood guard. She saw furtive bands of people scurrying for cover as their craft flew over, obviously still fearful of the aliens. Other groups brandished weapons at them and screamed, so that Serr had to swerve and go up to avoid being shot at from the ground. Savage rage emanated from the faces of the shooters.   
Kyrnis pointed. “There are enclaves ahead. People who have banded together. Some are simply hoping to survive. Others gather in hopes of attacking our bases.”  
“There are one or two who have set up as field hospitals and emergency medical centers,” Tynevek said. “They are working against great odds. There is one, now.”  
An old barn showed a large red cross painted on its roof and its sides. There were a couple of old roller-style emergency transport vehicles parked outside. The whole place was ringed in razor wire, and patrolled by armed guards. She understood. The people inside couldn’t help anyone if they were attacked.   
Serr flew on. Susannah had no idea where they were: she’d never been here and knew only vague images from maps.   
“We can make Chicago in twenty clicks,” the pilot reported.   
“Not too close.” Tynevek squeezed Susannah’s hand as he explained. “There are still toxic fires burning and vicious gangs roam that area. We can’t take chances.”  
“I understand.”  
But she didn’t. Not really. Oh, she understood the danger, but she couldn’t get her mind to fathom what she was seeing. How could this happen? What sort of madness had seized her world that things could have descended into chaos and rage?   
“It’s hard to grasp.”   
She looked up into Tynevek’s face. He seemed to be warring with both grief and anger. She looked to Kyrnis. The Nobek looked coldly furious.   
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice very small.   
Tynevek softened. “Precious girl, we would like to spare you such ugliness. But we understand that you need to see the truth for yourself.”  
“We’re sure.” Kyrnis nodded to the view outside. “It gets worse. We may not be able to convince you of our guilt or innocence in all this, but I hope you see that the destruction is very real.”  
“Rad levels are rising.” Serr glanced over his shoulder. “The closer we get to the ruins, the higher the readings.” He tapped a gauge that was pulsing from yellow to blue.  
Susannah knew about the great towers of the city of Chicago. As pollution had increased, the people had built higher and higher. The wealthy lived above the clouds. The poor inhabited the lower levels and traversed the fetid waters of the river that ran through it. Resources gathered in the clouds, it was said, and it seldom rained below.  
There were no towers in sight today. No boats or monuments. Nothing but ash and rubble as far as she could see. “That is Chicago? Really?”  
“All that’s left.” Tynevek spoke softly. “Millions of lives lost.”  
“The blasts here were almost as strong as in Moscow,” Kyrnis reported. “The fires and the panic complicated everything.”  
A beep from the cockpit had Serr snapping back to his work. He answered the com and spoke rapidly in Kalquorian. He broke the connection and swung the shuttle about.   
“There’s a situation just to the north of here. People are trapped in an abandoned depot. Gangs have them pinned down and are firing, making ready to go in. Our people are on their way. We’ll transport survivors.”  
“Go.” Kyrnis double-checked Susannah’s security belt, then dashed to a cupboard at the back of the shuttle. He removed a blaster, powered it up, and stood behind Serr, watching their approach.


End file.
